The Universe VS The Master's Orders
by RocketAce
Summary: Two years after the P-1 Climax, as members of SEES are celebrating New Years, an entity revives Minato to partake in his latest tourney as he has them all summoned to his world. What if Minato refused? He now has to do 8 Orders, or face the consequences for denying this chance. Fuuka also wants to prove something, and she along with Minato will learn some things along the way.
1. A Created Welcome

**So here's my next tale. Something I had in mind for a while. Don't worry about this story not finishing, as I already have the whole general plot laid out in my mind, and I do plan to finish this. Though one thing is that way later on, I'm going to possibly have an important poll in regards to something. Key words being possible and way later on but that's not going to be relevant for a long while so don't worry. Anyway don't be afraid to state any opinions, criticisms, thoughts in general in regards to this story. Also at the end of every chapter, I'll usually have some notes that address things from that chapter as well. Anyway, enough with that, and I hope you guys enjoy this story!**

**All licensed content belong to their respective creators. All Persona related content belongs to Atlus. All Super Smash Bros content belong to Nintendo, Sega, Capcom, Namco Bandai, etc.**

* * *

In a very special location where many battles have been fought, had two entities within who were currently discussing many things amongst each other. They could not be seen as only their booming voices can be heard as they chose not to make themselves visible, despite no one else being around but them. They were truly powerful beings as one represented all of creation and creativity while the other represented impulsive destruction. They could influence any and all universes they saw fit, with their abilities, and even beings like gods, goddesses, and other deities were beneath them. They truly had control of everything as they saw fit.

This special place they were in, was in some special universal space as it overlooked many worlds and universes from all over. A special platform hung in the center, half made of blue pure crystal that shined brilliantly while the other half of the platform was made of red volcanic rock that oddly did not burn those who stood upon it. It didn't always look like this as it's had multiple different incarnations in the past, but for the current time being, it was depicted this way. This place has seen many battles from those worthy of challenging the two entities throughout history, and will probably continue to do so for the future. We now listen to what they are discussing with each other.

"So... my sane logical brother, what brings us here? I don't see anyone, or anything for us to smack, pound, or obliterate to dust at the moment," said a maniacal voice.

"Always wanting some destruction as usual eh? Such forwardness as always. Well my creative spirit has been active lately and... I've been thinking of a potential new member to add to our roster of fighters," a similar but much more calm voice retorted.

"Is that so? Heh. Ever since you planned to bring that psychic feline back for our latest competition, you've been considering adding more and more sooner, haven't you?" the maniacal voice responded in turn.

"Considering the reception that move has garnered, I thought it be wise to possibly bring more into the fray earlier. Regardless... I was thinking of one potential new fighter that I might have join early or at least for the next proper tournament, I wished to discuss with you," the calm voice responded.

"Very well. Discuss away," the maniacal voice said with booming laughter right after.

"A boy... a boy who in one particular universe has proven himself quite much. You can say that this person is truly a wild card." the calm voice replied.

"A wild card? Is he truly wild?" the maniacal voice asked. The other voice had a calm roaring laugh from what he heard.

"I guess you can put it that way. He's someone who managed to face and conquer death itself. Needless to say, I feel he's a potential great candidate for our tournament," the calm voice explained.

"Ha. Sounds potentially entertaining. How does he fight?" the maniacal voice asked, intrigued.

"He is a capable fighter of using many weapons. Swords requiring one or two hands, bows, fists, spears, and even bludgeons. However... what is most particular is this. He has the ability to summon... other sides of him that can help fight for him. He's one of the few that can summon many other sides of him compared to those who can in his universe," the calm voice stated. The other entity for once, took some time to comprehend what it heard, before it laughed even more crazily.

"Ah yes. I actually do know of who you refer now that you described this individual in that way. Yes... I would love to find myself facing off against this wild card. Isn't he the only one to be... of the universe?" the maniacal voice said.

"Yes. He truly is one of the kind. It be interesting to have one of the universe... potentially face off against us one day. The entities who can create and destroy the universes as we see fit. So am I to understand you have no problems of seeing this boy as... worthy of joining?" the calm voice answered back.

"Before I answer that... what made this particular individual stand out now?" The maniacal voice asked with most curiosity. "We've always been most... particular with who we deemed worthy. What made this individual worthy in your opinion recently?"

"I had finally recalled that he conquered another great challenge. A series of maddening labyrinths as he teamed up with another wild card in his universe to conquer the labyrinths they found themselves in, at some point in his journey. Seeing how he performed piqued my interests and caught my attention overall, and I feel he has proven his worth. Do you deem him worthy now my insane brother?" the calm voice explained.

"I do deem him worthy... worthy to destroy! Ha! Just realize you'll have to create... something that will uphold this boy's current duties considering his circumstances at the moment," the maniacal voice answered with enthusiasm.

"Indeed. I don't have any attention of letting that universe fall to it's humanities grand manifestation of negative emotion. I can of course easily create a barrier to handle that. I am after all... The Master. I will get in contact with our eight chairmen who run things in our special smashing world, to notify them as well. It's time for this wild card to finally join. Let's see how things play out," the calm voice said. Soon both entities began to laugh loudly, as the sounds eventually faded away as both presences were now gone. The Master was about to prepare, as he had many things to take care of, for this newcomer's arrival. He was definitely going to make this newcomer welcome with how he was planning his inauguration into this famous competition.

The scene changed to a large conference room that had many glass windows overlooking the city of New York below. Outside it was snowing as it was December 30th and snow was gently falling outside, onto the streets of Manhattan. The room was on a very high floor of a particular tower, in a certain smashing universe. Eight men hidden in shadows as they sat on their respective office chairs as they were waiting as a large monitor that hung on the ceiling to turn on. Soon it came to life and they all viewed The Master come onto screen for their eyes only as they watched it.

"Good to see you all," The Master calmly stated. "I am here to let you all know... I am ready to select my next participant for future participation,"

The eight men murmured to each other, as they were reminded when The Master wanted to bring back the psychic feline, back from the Melee Tournament for the current one being held. Silence soon filled the room as The Master signaled for it.

"I will begin my preparations and create... what is necessary for him to participate. You eight are to..."

* * *

It was now December 31st in the year of 2014 during a cold evening. We convene in the interior of a certain dorm that normally had students who went to the nearby institution of Gekkoukan High. It was the Iwatodai Dormitory and it currently had two residents staying in it, who were currently resting on a couch. All the other students were home for the holidays, but these residents had decided to stay for their own reasons. Outside it was currently snowing very lightly, as the cold temperatures made sure to make people want to stay inside.

One resident was a young teenager boy. He had brown hair, really smooth skin, and was fairly tall. He wore a black uniform from the school, brown shoes, a yellow armband on his left arm that had the words "Student Council," on them and a wristwatch on his right wrist. He was Ken Amada. A teenager who once fought with certain others when he was younger to help prevent something cataclysmic known as The Fall to them. Right now he was drinking a cup of hot chocolate, as he waited quietly for other people.

A Shiba Inu dog laid asleep on the boy's lap peacefully. The dog had white fur, red eyes, and was wearing what appeared to be an orange jacket that Ken had given him to wear, along with a special collar. He was Koromaru, a faithful loving dog, whose owner passed away, and was now cared for by Ken currently. He was a very friendly dog, who also helped his new family out against The Fall back then.

"I wonder how everyone else is," Ken whispered to himself quietly. Suddenly the doors to the dorm opened and two people entered. One was wearing a light blue baseball uniform, and a black shirt underneath it, as he rushed in cold. He wore matching light blue pants, a light blue baseball cap, and black cleats. Needless to say he looked very cold. He was Junpei Iori and currently was a volunteer baseball couch in his free time, and was known to be a bit of comic relief among his friends. He had a good heart though, as he also fought against The Fall a long time ago.

"Before you ask why I'm not wearing more Ken...of all the days... the laundromat I go to clean my clothes... lost all my damn clothes!" Junpei whined. "I get stuck with this baseball uniform when it's clearly not baseball season,"

"Well you should have had more clothes at home," said the other person who took off her pink jacket and placed it on a nearby coat hanger. She was now wearing a pink top with a white lace design, beige pants, and brown high heel boots. She was Yukari Takeba. She was a college student who worked for a TV show portraying a superhero character on it, while also modeling on the side. She and Junpei had a comical relationship where the two would constantly tease each other since their time in high school. She also fought against The Fall, long ago.

"Junpei sempai! Yukari sempai! Good to see you two," Ken said happily. Koromaru woke up, upon hearing this and made his way to the two as they happily petted him. "It's good to see you two have arrived,"

"Well we've never missed the chance to celebrate New Years together since Mitsuru formed the Shadow Operatives!" Junpei exclaimed. "By the way are we really the first ones to have arrived?"

Ken nodded, as Junpei and Yukari made their way to the couch and sat down as well. They looked around as nostalgia soon filled them, as they recalled the times they used to dorm here.

"It looks like it. But better early then late," Yukari said as Koromaru got onto the couch, as she slowly petted him. Suddenly the door opened once more and two more people showed up.

"Sorry we're late. I got carried away with training at the gym," said a familiar male voice. They all turned their attention to a silver haired man as he placed his black coat over a coat hanger. He was wearing a light gray suit, a black collar shirt, black pants, and black shoes. He was Akihiko Sanada, a college student who loved to train, participate in boxing, and consume protein shakes. He always liked to get stronger to protect others, and he was also practicing to be a cop. He too once fought against The Fall.

"I had to drag him out by threatening execution. Needless to say, it worked flawlessly," the other individual who came with Akihiko teased as she took off a big white fur coat and placed it on the coat hanger as well. She had red long hair, over a black uniform with white frills for the neck collar, black pants, and black pants. She was Mitsuru Kirijo, a young woman who ran a company known as the Kirijo Group. She was very mature for her age and responsible. She also once fought against The Fall as well.

"Well that would have been salt on the wound, considering how cold it is already outside," Junpei said. "I should know, I only had this baseball uniform to work with today,"

"I don't know. Mitsuru's executions can be pretty damn chilling," Akihiko said from past experience, as he and Mitsuru joined the others on the couch. Koromaru moved towards the two as he allowed himself to be petted by them.

"So it seems we're all here except for Aigis and Yamagishi," Mitsuru stated as she noted who was there so far.

"Is Labrys coming this year?" Yukari asked curiously.

"No. She wanted to visit somewhere special this year and asked if Kikuno could take her there," Mitsuru explained. Labrys was one of the newest members of their group that joined two years ago during a certain incident, while Kikuno was one of Mitsuru's maids who was very capable of many things. One of those things being able to pilot a helicopter. "I respected her wishes. She said we can all meet tomorrow, during New Year's day to celebrate with her,"

"Goodbye 2014, hello 2015 at midnight tonight!" Junpei exclaimed. "How was your year so far guys?"

As they all began to discuss amongst themselves how everything was going for them, we now focus on two individuals who were actually behind the dorm. The two were in front of a grave site that was lightly doused in the white snow, falling from the sky. One of the individuals was Aigis. She was not human, as she was actually an android in the form of a young female women. She had blonde hair, blue eyes, a red tie with the black suit she wore to conceal her robotic frame, black pants, and her feet were built to have what appeared to be black shoes. She was built to fight against beings known as Shadows as they were creatures that were born from humanity's suppressed negative emotions, which came about significantly during a year when people who desired the end of the everything, yearned for The Fall many years ago. She held a bouquet of yellow roses as she placed it against the grave, and prayed for a bit before she stood back up.

"Are you sure... you want to do this now?" Aigis asked concerned of her friend. The other person was someone wearing a green sweater over a white colored sundress, black tights, and black leather boots. She had teal blue colored hair that had a long braid at the end. She was Fuuka Yamagishi. A very sensitive person who was friends with the others. She was good with engineering and technology, and had a promising future for her career. She once assisted the others against The Fall as well. She held a bouquet of teal colored roses as she stared at the grave with very emotional eyes.

"I... I feel the need to do this Aigis," Fuuka whispered back very quietly. "I'm sorry I just... need some alone time with... him."

"Understood. Please... don't be afraid to express how you feel Fuuka. I wish you the best," Aigis said with care as she completely understood what she was going through, as she slowly walked away to head into the front of the dorm and eventually into it and left Fuuka beside the grave.

Fuuka sat down beside the grave and went limp as she was reminded of that painful moment. She placed the bouquet of teal roses besides the bouquet of yellow roses and sighed. Silence filled the air as she soon went into a praying position and began to pray her thoughts to him. She prayed about how everything was going for her, for the others, how everyone and everything has been holding up. She prayed that she hoped he was still enjoying the headphones he had, that she had given him, after many times they bonded. She prayed about how she still wanted to be more useful for him, as she knew, that she wanted to contribute more. She prayed how she could one day to become more like Rise Kujikawa to help him and the others, a person who proved herself with both analytical and combat skills, as she still couldn't fight to help the others. She prayed how badly she wanted to prove how she could be of more help, but yet her condition of anemia prevented that, no matter how hard she tried. Finally she prayed about how she was still sorry that during the day of graduation she had forgotten when they all lost their memories. How she ran up the stairs when they all remembered and found him... in that state, as she held him tight and told him what be the last words he hear before passing on.

Eventually she stood up as she finished praying, as she wiped away tears that emerged from her eyes and slowly walked to the front of the dorm. It was time for her to move on again, like how he would have wanted it for everyone. She soon entered the dorm as everyone else greeted her.

"Fuuka! Great to see you!" Junpei exclaimed, as he beckoned for her to sit with them all. Aigis was already sitting in between Yukari and Mitsuru as Fuuka nodded. She sat between Yukari and Junpei, as Koromaru happily went up to her and she petted him back with a big smile.

"Sorry I'm late. I had to take care of something," Fuuka said, trying to hide her sadness from before.

"It's no problem. The important thing is we're all here," Yukari said happily.

"Yes. Let's begin our annual New Year's party," Mitsuru said with a smile.

"Please order tons of sushi like you do every year," Junpei begged comically. Mitsuru nodded back as she took out a cell phone and called for it.

"How's the volunteer baseball coach thing going?" Yukari asked with curiosity.

"Great! Before we stopped due to the Winter and all, the kids are actually working real well together lately. They're actually working together so well, that we've been winning games recently. What about you Yuka-tan? How's being Featherman Pink working out?"

"Fine. The show's ratings are really doing well. We might get another season if the ratings keep up," Yukari said happily as she turned to face Akihiko. "How's college Akihiko sempai?"

"Fine. Though Aigis always being on my case is draining," Akihiko stated.

"I just want to make sure you're doing well," Aigis replied.

"I did ask her to keep tabs on you, after all," Mitsuru mused as she turned to Ken. "How are your studies Amada?"

"Great! My grades are solid, and my time on soccer and student council have been awesome," Ken proudly stated. Ken faced Fuuka for his question. "What about you Fuuka-san? How are your studies going?"

"They're fine. I still have a bunch of professors asking me to go study abroad though," Fuuka answered quietly.

"Nothing wrong with that right?" Junpei asked. "I mean... it probably be a good opportunity, wouldn't it?"

"But I want to remain here to help you guys. In case other incidents happen," Fuuka said in response.

"Yamagishi," Mitsuru stated with concern for her friend. "Don't forsake opportunities for our sake. Do what you want to do,"

Fuuka was about to respond but suddenly the doors to the dorm had knocks upon them. They all went up to see who it was, and it was the deliveryman for the sushi, Mitsuru ordered earlier. They decided to drop the subject for now as Mitsuru paid him, and she began passing out the sushi for everyone. Soon they all found themselves dining, talking, and just having a good old time in general. Their attention eventually shifted towards a clock that hung in the room as it was now 11:55 PM after all that time.

"I think it's time we all head to the back and see the fireworks... with him," Ken said seriously. They all nodded as they all got up. They would all head to the back of the dorm and endure the cold for his sake. Junpei in particular had no regrets even if he was freezing himself off. Once there they all noticed the bouquets of flowers.

"Someone came by and dropped these off for him," Yukari said sadly. They all missed this person dearly. The leader of their group in high school who was a charming, intelligent, and brave individual. He was the leader of SEES. SEES standing for Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad. Their purpose was to fight against the Shadows that wanted The Fall. An event where the world would have ended, had they not intervened. In the process, their leader lost his life and now his soul played a role guarding the world, from that fate from occurring. Needless to say it was not a happy ending.

"He was truly something special," Akihiko said quietly.

They all stood silent from that point on as no one said anything. Koromaru in particular began to whimper as Ken began to pet him again. The sounds of fireworks soon filled the air, as some people already began to fire them. However as soon as it struck 11:59 something very particular started to occur. White light began to shine from the grave causing them all to become concerned.

"I'm pretty sure that's not suppose to happen right?" Junpei questioned.

"What in the-" but before Yukari could finish, the ground started shaking violently as the white light began to flash constantly causing all of them to lose their balance.

"What's going on here!?" Ken shouted concerned. Koromaru began to bark wildly at what was occurring, while Ken held the dog tight, trying to keep him safe and calm.

"Is this an earthquake!?" Akihiko questioned as he saw nothing on the news about that.

"Yamagishi! Can you scan for anything?" Mitsuru yelled concerned, wondering if a Shadow was behind this. Fuuka nodded but as she tried to use her abilities, the ground's shaking became more violent and prevented her from regaining her balance as the ground shaking, just caused her to just keep falling onto the floor while the flashing also increased.

"Brace yourselves!" Aigis shouted, as she felt the shaking increase in even more force. They all started to yell due to the situation but as soon as midnight hit, a white light enveloped them all from the grave and after the flash of light passed, they were all gone and time seemed to stop as everything laid still.

* * *

Fuuka finally heard her breathing and soon awakened. She rubbed her eyes and began to blink as her head was hurting from what occurred before. She saw many things that caused her to gasp. She and the others had awaken in what appeared to be the lobby of a very large room in a building she didn't recognize. What caught her attention more was that herself and everyone else sprawled on the clean golden marble ground, were no longer the same age as before. They all were physically the same bodies as their time in high school during 2009 when they fought against The Fall. She saw that they were all wearing their uniforms (or their takes on the Gekkoukan uniform at the very least) from that time as well. She reached for the back of her hair and noticed that her braid was gone, and she was back to having her short hair she had during high school. Ken in particular was back to being a kid and wearing his orange jacket again while Koromaru seemed a little less chubby and no longer wore the jacket now as well. Aigis looked the same the most, though her red tie was now a red ribbon, and she also wore her high school uniform as opposed to her black suit before.

"What... where...why... I'm so confused," Fuuka said quietly, in a state of shock. She also noticed that there was a fountain lying in the middle with crystal clear blue water, that had a most particular design on it. It held a pedestal beneath a giant sphere made of crystal that reflected in colors that changed constantly. It also held an interesting design. A circle with a large thick vertical line towards the left, and a smaller horizontal line towards the bottom left. It was a most particular captivating symbol. She soon looked around and noticed behind them was what appeared to be a reception's desk with a office chair behind but no one was around, along with what appeared to be a very large elevator that could accommodate a lot of really big or tall individuals.

"I don't understand," she whispered. Suddenly she looked towards the front and many glass doors as the room they were in, was very wide and big in general. But what caught her attention was a familiar sight outside the door that she hadn't expected to see. Before she could react, she heard the others start to wake up.

"Man it felt like that time I tripped into that closet full of baseball bats," Junpei whined as he slowly awakened. "Hey Yuka-tan. I didn't know you still wore your high school clothes,"

"What are you talking about Stupei? I'm not wearing... what the heck!?" Yukari said as she woke up confused. "Why am I wearing my high school clothes? Why are you wearing your high school clothes?"

"Huh? I'm not... whoa! I am!" Junpei noticed alarmed. "Did someone switch our clothes while we were knocked out!?"

"I... don't think that's the case," Akihiko said as he felt his muscles on his arm and woken up as well. "I feel like... I'm physically back to how I was in high school,"

"Plus Amada's height can't be explained away with a clothes change," Mitsuru said, very concerned what was going on.

"Well this is awkward," Ken stated, as he noted he was now back to being short. "Man this stinks. What happened?"

"According to my GPS systems... we are no longer in Tatsumi Port Island in Japan." Aigis stated. "It appears we are in... New York City, in the United States,"

"Wait a minute... we're in New York City!? Are you joking?" Yukari asked even more confused. Aigis shook her head for a no, as everyone else continued to be even more confused.

"Umm... not to interrupt but I saw someone very familiar outside the entrance," Fuuka said, as they all turned to her. "Akihiko sempai... I think you should brace yourself,"

They all turned to follow her as they exited the building and saw many tall skyscrapers around, as snow fell, and fireworks lit the sky. But what stood out the most was a teenager, they all hadn't seen for a very long time.

"Shinji!" Akihiko yelled surprised. They all ran up to the guy on the ground, as he appeared to still be knocked out. He was Shinjiro Aragaki. A friend of theirs that passed away in 2009. While he looked and acted the tough guy, he was actually a nice guy had you gotten to know him. He had passed away due to many factors, mainly due to a group known as Strega being involved. Shinjiro's eyes slowly blinked as he saw Akihiko beside him.

"Aki?" was what Shinjiro muttered as he felt exhausted and he soon saw everyone else beside him, with concerned eyes. "What... the hell? I felt like I just woke up from the longest nap ever,"

"Okay... this is seriously weird. I'm glad Shinjiro sempai is back and all but... what the hell is going on!? Junpei yelled, frustrated by what was happening.

"I don't know. But we're going to find out," Mitsuru said, as she and Akihiko helped Shinjiro to stand up. They all were really wondering what was going on now. Ken in particular felt awkward considering what had happened between him and Shinjiro before he passed away.

"Well I don't think we're going to find the answer in here. We should all head back inside so we don't freeze out here," Yukari suggested. They all nodded as they headed back. However as fate would have it, a new individual who wasn't there before now was laying in front of the fountain with that circle symbol. Fuuka in particular held her hands over her mouth as she couldn't believe it. They all stood in shock except Shinjiro who looked confused, as he was not aware of his demise due to... well dying before him.

"Minato," Fuuka whispered quietly as she immediately ran up to the fallen teenager and hugged him. He was wearing his Gekkoukan High uniform, those headphones she had given him, and still had that blue hair. His eyes slowly awaken as everyone else got close to him, and he held his head with his hands, as he sat on the ground now. Everyone sat beside him, as it was such a long time since they had seen him.

"Oh man! I don't know what forces are at work, but thank you for bringing my pal back!" Junpei yelled as he gave the blue haired teen a firm handshake.

"You're really here," Yukari said, happily as she remembered wanting to see him again so badly in the past, as she gave him a hug.

"Shinji... you're not the only one who kicked the bucket," Akihiko explained, as he gave Minato a fist bump, who obliged him.

"Minato sempai... I hope you're feeling alright," Ken said as he and Minato had a friendly hand shake. Koromaru went up to the teenager and began licking his face happily, as Minato had a gentle smile and laugh.

"My sensors indicate you are indeed the real Minato," Aigis said with such relief as she also hugged the teen.

"Welcome back," Mitsuru said with a hug, as Minato smiled at what she used to greet him, whenever he returned to the dorm sometimes.

"Good to see you're in high spirits. For both of us," Shinjiro joked as he and Minato shook hands.

"I'm... so happy you're here," Fuuka said quietly as she had tears emerge from her eyes. Minato really smiled hard as he hugged her back. Suddenly the sounds of the large elevator opened, interrupting their reunion. They all turned to face it, as eight tall young adult white men emerged from it, with one in front of the other seven as they followed the one in front.

The one in front wore a red suit, had red smooth straight hair, red sunglasses tinted so dark, you couldn't see his eyes, red gloves, red office pants, and finally red shoes. He also had a lapel that depicted that same symbol on the fountain that was red as well. He also had a name tag that said P1 and was written in black ink. That wasn't what stood out though. The other seven behind him just looked like him except in different colors. One was blue and had a name tag that said P2, another was wearing all yellow and had P3 for his, the fourth was wearing all green and had P4, the fifth was wearing all orange as as he wore P5, the sixth wore all cyan and had P6, the seventh wore all purple and had P7, and finally the last one wore all gray as he had P8. Needless to say, they were very color coordinated.

"Welcome all of you to Smash Tower. A building owned by Smash Corp and our base of operations," the one in red stated passionately. Silence filled the members of SEES as they weren't sure how to respond. "I am known as Crimson. And the rest you see before you are my brothers."

"I'm Azure. Pleased to make your acquaintance," the one in blue introduced calmly.

"Golden, at your service," the one in yellow optimistically stated.

"Jade is my name," the one in green boasted.

"Sunset for me," the one in orange enthusiastically expressed.

"Name's Sky. Simple as that," the one in cyan said without a care in the world.

"Fuchsia. That's all," the one in purple stated snobbishly.

"Ash," the one in gray stated bluntly.

The rest of SEES were still at a loss for words as they weren't sure what to make of these eight men. Were they what caused what happened at Minato's grave to occur? Were they ones to take them to this building in New York City like this? Were they the reason that they all physically had their bodies during the time period of 2009, despite remembering everything past that? Were they responsible for Shinjiro and Minato's resurrection, and why they were here with them right now? What is Smash Corp exactly? So many questions filled their minds as they wanted to ask, but weren't sure what to say.

"I bet you all have many questions. Well don't worry, we're here to answer them. Why don't you all come to our office? We have an elevator for use here after all," Crimson suggested. The members of SEES all looked at each other, still unsure of what to say. Minato slowly got up, as he still felt strained and looked at Crimson with a questionable stare. He then finally sighed as he didn't see if they had much of a choice in the matter.

"Sure," Minato said calmly. Crimson and his seven brothers all grinned as they walked back into the elevator and made sure that the large wide door wouldn't close till all the members of SEES walked in. They all slowly walked in, feeling unsure, but seeing how they really had no choice in the matter, obliged for now. They were soon going to be finding the answers to these questions for better or for worse.

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**Thus ends the first chapter. What did you guys think? Some notes before I go, to explain a lot of stuff.**

**1\. The psychic feline mentioned, is Mewtwo who is currently planned as a DLC character for Super Smash Bros for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U later this year, in case anyone didn't hear about that.**

**2\. The reason I wanted to also focus on Fuuka besides the Persona 3 Protagonist is... I like to write about underrated characters. My one shot, Assisting Champion back in 2009 focused on Little Mac being an Assist Trophy in Brawl, because I wanted to give him some spotlight at the time. This is a similar case, though I won't deny, I find the relationship between Fuuka and the main character of Persona 3 to be very adorable.**

**3\. The eight chairmen working under "The Master/Master Hand"... they're based off how each player in Smash Bros is assigned a color (Ex-Player 1 is always associated with red). With Super Smash Bros for Wii U, having up to eight players playable, each were assigned a color as well in the game. Thus the eight chairmen are based off that kind of concept. They are also going to be the only real OC characters, so other then them, the focus will also be on the cast from both series.**

**4\. I decided to give each chairmen a name, because just calling them P1 or P2 or something along those lines, I thought would get hard to keep track of each chairman, and be a little lame. So I did a little research and decided to assign each a name based on a shade of their color and a attribute you would associate with that color in general.**

**5\. Don't worry about the cast of the main Smash Bros characters not showing up yet. They will in due time, and some interesting fun battles are up ahead. **

**6\. The whole Universe thing refers to how the main protagonist of Persona 3, is the only one to have received the Universe Arcana from the series. **

**7\. That whole deeming worthy thing references how a 3rd Party Non Nintendo character must have at least made one appearance on a Nintendo system. Thus Persona Q.**

**8\. So one common thing in Smash fiction is for all the characters to hang out in some sort of Mansion. For both my Smash one-shots, I had this place called Smash Corp/Tower made instead, that was based in New York City. This story will be using it's own take on that location as well.**

**9\. So the whole thing, with Fuuka holding Minato while he's dying references Persona 3 Portable. In that version of Persona 3, someone other then Aigis (Yukari, Mitsuru, and Fuuka) can actually hold Minato as he lays dying during the ending, as well depending on your choices in the game.**

**That about wraps it up for now, so I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Don't be afraid to say your thoughts. Till next chapter!**


	2. Explanations & Orders

**Here we are at Chapter 2! Thanks to everyone who has read it so far and such. Don't be afraid to give any thoughts, opinions, criticism, etc if you have any. Let's get this show on the road!**

* * *

Silence filled the elevator as it ascended. Everyone was unsure of how to react to the current situation. Eventually the elevator stopped and and they all stepped out into a hallway with black carpet. Two large wooden doors was at the very other end, and it also depicted that familiar circle symbol they have all seen by now. They followed the eight men in and they were greeted with what appeared to be a large conference room with lights on, with file cabinets in the corners. The eight took their place in eight seats that even matched their colors, among a glossy polished wooden rectangular table that had built in computers within the table itself, and a large projector that hung off the ceiling in towards the other end of the table, not facing the doors. The members of SEES all stood up, as no more chairs were available for them, except for one. Minato however didn't want to sit, if the rest of his team had to stand. The only sounds at the moment, were the fireworks going off outside as the glass windows showed, as snow still continued to fall, as they waited for any of the chairmen to speak.

"So let's all begin. We will start by saying what our occupation is. We are the eight chairmen that run Smash Corp. This building being the Smash Tower where our employees work at, and our special guests stay at. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask," the eight said in unison.

"What's Smash Corp? Actually... not that I don't want the answer to that, I do... but I rather ask some other stuff before knowing that answer. Like... are you guys responsible for everything that's happened to us just before? Taking us here? Making us younger yet keeping our memories? Reviving... Shinjiro sempai and Minato?" Junpei asked. The eight chairmen just grinned.

"No. The Master is who made all that has happened to you all, occur so far," Sunset expressed. "He's our boss and one we've been proud to work for a long time for,"

"The Master?" Ken asked confused. "Who's that?"

All eight chairmen just turned to look at each other, and then just laughed for a bit. Their laughing was actually unsettling the members of SEES, as Ken's question seemed so harmless.

"Sorry. The fact some kid just straight up asked that, was just hilarious for us," Jade said with laughter. Ken felt anger rushing into him, but Shinjiro placed a hand on his left shoulder, as a sign to calm him down, as Ken just sighed.

"I guess we can give some details about him. He is the entity of creativity and creation," Sunset explained.

"Entity of creativity and creation? You mean... like a god?" Aigis asked with curiosity. The eight chairmen all turned to each other and laughed once more, once again unsettling them.

"No. He is beyond gods, goddesses, or whatever other deities. He is the creator and more importantly... The Master. Anything he wants created or to occur or make? He can make it happen with just a snap of his fingers," Jade boasted proudly.

"So why bring us here then?" Mitsuru asked. "What would he want with all of us?"

"He is also the creator of the famous competition known as... Super Smash Bros," Golden said with optimism.

"Super Smash Bros?" Akihiko asked with raised eyebrows. "I've never heard of anything like that before."

"Searching my database... the competition known as Super Smash Bros does not exist within it," Aigis stated, just to be sure.

"Well we're not surprised you all haven't." Fuchsia stated. "After all, only those selected by The Master get this rare opportunity to have their universe involved,"

"Did you just say... universe?" Yukari asked, as she felt this was becoming bigger and bigger then them, by the second.

"Yes. All that stuff about you guys hearing about alternate universes, realities, and other worlds... it's the real deal," Sky mentioned casually. The members of SEES all looked at each other unsure of what to say. "For example, you guys have an alternate universe where mister blue hair with the high school uniform is actually a girl who's a reddish brunette who's also a big shot Persona user and the leader of your group in that version, as well. Crazy huh?"

The members of SEES all looked at each other unsure of what to say, once more. They weren't sure what surprised them more, the fact that alternate worlds, realities, and universes existed or the fact he knew they were all Persona users.

"How do you know about us, and our power of Persona?" Mitsuru questioned.

"We know everything The Master wants us to know or allows us to know. The eight of us are essentially his second in command," Crimson answered proudly. "We have a vast knowledge and database on many things from many universes."

The members of SEES all eyed each other once more. They were clearly dealing with some very powerful forces at work here. They also had to find out more as they continued their questioning.

"Can you elaborate what Smash Corp is?" Fuuka asked curiously.

"A corporation that manages the tournaments for Super Smash Bros," Ash answered bluntly.

"What kind of tournaments are we talking about here?" Shinjiro asked.

"Basically... The Master trusts us to run these fighting tournaments. Fighting tournaments with participants from many different universes." Azure claimed. The SEES members who were involved with the P-1 Grand Prix and P-1 Climax looked uneasy upon hearing that. The chairmen all expected this reaction as they decided to ease their concerns.

"Don't worry. This is not a lethal tournament where people murder each other or anything like that. In fact I'll speak of an example to show what I mean." Azure explained. "Let's pretend I was a fighter in this tournament and I fought with a sword, and let's say I slashed or stabbed my opponent... they actually wouldn't receive any wounds. They take the sensation of such a thing but they actually wouldn't get stabbed or slashed. Or what if I was a fighter that had fire related abilities and I burned someone else? They wouldn't be cooked alive, despite smoking like roast chicken for a bit. Why don't I show a match between two different fighters within our tournament to help visualize this?"

They all stared skeptical with what they heard. Azure sighed as he looked towards his brothers and they all nodded back. Azure snapped his fingers, and soon a blue keyboard silhouette appeared on the part of the table he sat at. He quickly typed and soon the lights in the room went off, as a video soon appeared on the projector.

It showed what appeared to be a blonde haired young man, wearing a red vest over a black shirt, and reddish shorts and boots, and wielding what appeared to be a unique red metallic blade of some sort fighting against a monstrous turtle with red hair, wearing a green spiky shell. The battle the two fighters were having, was taking place in a large grassy plain with many cliffs around. They all saw how whenever the young man wielding the unique weapon he had, slashed at the monstrous turtle, it would only knock the other away and not actually cut through the creature. They also noted whenever the monstrous turtle breathed fire on the young man, he didn't catch on fire despite taking the damage. Another thing they noticed is that whenever one of the fighters made a defensive stance, a spherical shield would appear around them, to guard them from the other fighter's attacks. The video was soon coming to a close, as the young man sent the monstrous turtle flying away comically into the sky, after being launched upwards hard enough by the young man using his weapon, as an announcer could be heard declaring the match over, by yelling "**GAME!**" as the video just ended right there.

"As you can see, Super Smash Bros is a very... family friendly fighting event for all our spectators and fighters." Golden answered with positivity. "Sure you feel pain when you get hit and such, but everything is non lethal. The Master assures that for his fighters. It's a famous competition beloved all over in this particular world where other universes are known about."

They all felt better, knowing that no one was going to die anytime soon due to this tournament, unlike what could have possibly resulted in their demise with the P-1 Grand Prix and P-1 Climax incidents. Shinjiro just wondered if they would meet the blonde haired boy, and that monstrous turtle at some point.

"So... you want us all to join Super Smash Bros then?" Ken asked innocently again. This time the chairmen just laughed straight away, causing all of SEES to feel awkward and concerned once more. Ken decided to stop talking for now, as he was starting to hate their laugh. Koromaru tried to comfort his friend, by licking him, as Ken went on his knee to pet him.

"Not exactly. The Master wanted to make only one of you a fighter in his current ongoing 4th tournament." Fuchsia stated. "He only accepts the best of the best or those he deems worthy... and that out of your group, would be Mr. Arisato,"

They all turned to face the blue haired teen, as he now had a very skeptical expression on his face. So it seems this was why he was revived. This Master wanted him to be a part of this fighting tournament in a world, where many crossed over due to this Master's influence.

"First of all, why did you bring us all here then?" Mitsuru questioned, as she wondered what purpose their involvement was.

"If only Minato was required, it seems to be a pointless endeavor to also bring us," Aigis also asked skeptical.

"The Master is a benevolent being. He wants all his fighters to be happy," Sunset expressed excitedly. "Being able to see your friends, in the form you last saw them in, must be a nice treat for Mr. Arisato isn't it? After passing away and all. He was willing to even revive Mr. Aragaki because he likes to spoil his members with happiness once they've joined."

Silence filled the members once more, as they couldn't deny. For all of SEES to be reunited like this was a miracle... even if it felt so unnatural. Minato couldn't deny that. He looked at them all with a smile, and was glad to see them all again but yet he couldn't help but feel this was wrong in some way.

"But... isn't time in our universe still moving? Plus won't people think we're all missing and stuff?" Junpei said out loud.

"Don't worry about it." Sky said nonchalantly. "The Master stopped time there when you guys got dragged here. Nothing is being effected over there right now. Whenever you guys all go back, things will resume. Except for Mr. Arisato of course and his buddy Shinjiro who will keep him company, as Mr. Arisato will be stuck here fighting in our tournament. You guys can of course visit when you can, we'll make arrangements for that but that's another discussion saved for the future. I also wager you two rather be alive then dead,"

Shinjiro looked toward Minato who shrugged, unsure of what to say yet felt on edge for some reason. Minato however realized something, when he heard the chairman member say that, as realization hit him. He still had his duty to prevent The Fall from occurring due to a certain beast that he made sure didn't do what it needed to do, to cause The Fall from occurring.

"What about... my duty?" Minato questioned. The chairmen all looked at each other once more and merely smirked this time.

"The Master has already taken care of that issue. Like we stated earlier, he can handle anyone or anything. He has already made a barrier to resolve your... negative problem that resides in your universe," Crimson answered. They were all shocked upon hearing this, to think this entity was that powerful to create something to handle such a force.

"So you're going to sign our contract right?" Ash stated bluntly, as he snapped his fingers. An official looking document appeared in his hands as he passed it to his brothers who eventually had Crimson hand it to Minato. Minato overlooked it and saw many things, as well as that same symbol from before. The symbol of Smash Bros as it represented apparently.

"Sign this contract with Smash Corp, and you're good to go," Sunset answered with enthusiasm. Minato looked at the others and they all gave him a signal, that he clearly understood despite not being with them for so long.

"Can I sign this tomorrow? Sorry but my friends and I are feeling a bit restless. It's kind of exhausting to be brought back from the dead and all for me and I'm sure for Shinjiro sempai as well," Minato stated. The eight chairmen all looked at each other confused. This was the first time such a thing had ever happened. Whenever someone received an invitation to be a part of this tournament, they be so joyous and join immediately. This was not the reaction they were expecting.

"You sure you don't want to sign it now?" Golden asked, trying to stay positive. "I mean it's really not a big deal Mr. Arisato,"

"No thank you." Minato stated simply and firmly. The chairmen all eyed each other, Jade in particular had a skeptical impression on his mouth.

"Very well. We do understand it might be exhausting. It is a new year finally after all as 2015 is finally upon us," Crimson stated. "I'll take you all to the rooms you'll be staying in."

Crimson got up from his seat as he led the members of SEES back onto the large elevator they were on before. Seeing that monstrous turtle from that video before, made them realize that perhaps why the elevator they were in, was very spacious and could hold so many people. Soon they arrived at a new floor and soon exited it. They were in a hallway with red carpet. They all noticed the multiple doors on each side of it. Five doors on the right and four on the left. The ones on the right each had a name plate for each male member, while the ones on the left each had a name plate for each female member of SEES. Koromaru began to whine as it seemed The Master couldn't give him his own room, even if he was a dog. At the other end of the hallway had a door that had a name plate that said "Conference," and a do not open sign hanged over it's door handle.

"Why don't you each check out your rooms? Also that room at the end is currently not available so don't bother trying to open it's door," Crimson stated. They all nodded, as Koromaru followed Ken. They all looked at their door and slowly turned the knob. When they opened it, they were all amazed by what they saw. It appeared to be a copy of their original dorm rooms, back in 2009 when they all lived together at the Iwatodai Dormitory.

"If you're all wondering... The Master does very thorough research for what he creates. The closets are all full of clothes you all would have worn back then, and you should be supplied with various things you'll need." Crimson explained.

"Wow. What a very handy guy," Junpei exclaimed. Crimson couldn't help but smirk when he heard that.

"Yes... The Master is a very handy individual indeed," Crimson said, trying to resist the urge to laugh. "Anyway... you all will have access to room service for free and only this floor for now. Do not leave this floor please. We are not permitting you to access any part of Smash Tower just yet. I'll be back around 6PM tomorrow evening to pick you all up, and take you all upstairs, to have Mr. Arisato's contract signed. Have a good night,"

Crimson headed back into the elevator, as he went to go back up to discuss with his brothers regarding certain matters. He was sure to discuss what happened with The Master, and see if any contingencies were required, as someone denying this opportunity was a first. What if he didn't want to join? Would The Master approve?

The members of SEES all looked to each other and sighed when the chairman left. They had a lot to talk to each other in the morning. Soon every member entered their room and looked around, for a bit, before they all found their high school pajamas among many clothes in the closets, took a shower and then changed into them and headed to sleep (Aigis opted to power down in her case, as her room was more for maintenance, while Koromaru got a bath from Ken, after the boy was done with his shower and made sure the dog slept well on the bed). Tomorrow morning they had a lot to discuss.

* * *

The next morning they all decided to meet up in Mitsuru's room due to it's large size and amount of sitting space available, as they all were wearing high school casual clothes that they had in the closet as well. Minato sat in a brown regal chair that was between a white elegant table and two brown regal couches. The girls all sat on the left couch, with Fuuka holding and petting Koromaru, while the guys other then Minato sat on the other couch. They all already told Minato and Shinjiro what has happened since the two were gone. Topics like establishing Shadow Operatives and the fighting tournament incidents in Inaba in 2012, catching the two up to speed on stuff like that. Now silence filled the room as no one was sure where to start, in regards to last night.

"Umm... so yeah," Junpei said uneasily. "That was pretty crazy last night with everything that happened. Anyone have anything they want to say to start off?"

"So... they want Minato to become a member of... Super Smash Bros right?" Yukari said. They all nodded back at her. "I mean... they seemed alright,"

"Well it means you and Shinjiro get to be alive right?" Akihiko said unsure of the whole situation, "Then becoming a member of Super Smash Bros shouldn't be a bad thing,"

"Well they said The Master only deems certain individuals of being worthy," Ken stated. "I have to admit, it's pretty crazy. But I bet Minato sempai would be a great fighter!"

Minato and Shinjiro looked at each other. This was such an awkward feeling. They died and now they were back because one of them got selected to be part of some universal fighting competition. Minato had never seen this coming. Then again, his last year of high school was something he also didn't see coming as well.

"We're going to meet them tonight to discuss this in more detail then," Mitsuru stated.

"I guess they'll answer more questions tonight," Yukari said quietly.

"So... are you going to sign the contract Minato? Because I'll say one thing, don't feel obligated to do so," Shinjiro said. Silence filled the room once, more as they all understood the implications of what that meant. This constant awkwardness of silence was definitely growing tiring for them, considering the situation.

"What did you all think of the video they showed us last night?" Fuuka asked, trying to give them something all to talk about.

"Oh yeah. That video of that blonde guy fighting that giant dragon turtle thing?" Junpei said, as Fuuka nodded back at him. "I have to admit, it was a fun fight to watch actually. Crazy sword that guy was wielding as well."

"Definitely a very unique blade," Mitsuru stated. "It was... amusing I have to admit. The battle between those two, "

"It looked kind of fun actually. It looked like something out of Featherman with the crazy fight scenes," Ken said with a smile.

"It did kind of look like something out of my show. Except it's actually happening in reality and that guy not being in a rangers suit," Yukari asked. "I have to admit though, watching that guy kick that cheap movie monster's butt was kind of awesome,"

Koromaru began to bark as Aigis began to translate for him. Aigis also had the ability to understand animals, though it wasn't as strong as before due to her being more human compared to before.

"I believe Koromaru-san stated that it was very entertaining. I too found it engaging," Aigis answered happily.

"Well it seems like a good opportunity to get stronger as well. Facing beings from other worlds huh?" Akihiko stated. "Plus non lethal fights and all, so no one has to worry about dying or anything,"

"It was... okay," Shinjiro said. He was still concerned with all these questions they still needed to answer. Plus he was still getting use to not being dead anymore apparently. "I mean that turtle... dragon... thing could have won had he grabbed his opponent more and threw him. He kept falling for the blonde guy's counter, with his unique red weapon,"

Minato was deep in thought. Particularly he was wondering if he really wanted to fight that guy with the red looking unique blade, not to mention that monstrous turtle who was not afraid to punch or dropkick during his fights, from what he saw. They definitely both put up a good fight from what he saw last night, and for some reason he had the feeling the two probably got along possibly, maybe the two went somewhere to grab a bite after their match. Call it the intuition of a wild card. Still... was this something he wanted to do? He fought to protect the world and he had accomplished that. Did he really want to keep fighting when he thought he was done with it?

"It was interesting," Minato said very quietly. They all stared at him concerned. "Sorry. I still have a lot on my mind. This whole thing still feels so... unnatural,"

"What do you mean?" Yukari asked.

"It's just... I mean I died... and... that was it. I faced my mortality and accepted it, along with my role afterward. I'm not sure if I want to keep fighting even if it means living," Minato said. The room grew very quiet. No one dared to speak as the silence droned on. "I'm sorry if what I said was... troubling," Minato said as he exited and left the room. They all began talking to each other, trying to discuss what they just heard, except for Fuuka who stayed silent. She soon quietly left the room, and knocked on Minato's door as she was in the hallway now. Soon it slowly opened as Minato had a scowl, that quickly went away as soon as he saw who it was, as it quickly turned into a smile.

"May I come in?" Fuuka asked shyly. Minato nodded with his smile as she entered the room. They both sat on his bed as they both sighed. Fuuka looked around. It was just like 2009 again when she visited inside. It was strangely nostalgic, despite everything here being... created for them. It was a weird mixture of nostalgia and concern that tugged at her heart, as she looked around.

"I'm sorry if I made you concerned." Minato said gently. Fuuka shook her head for a no, but Minato wasn't buying it. He knew Fuuka, from the time they spent together that year and he knew she was extremely sensitive. Fuuka looked at him with a tiny smile as she soon began to talk quietly.

"It's fine. Whatever you want to do, you deserve the right to choose, I mean... you're in control of your own life and, if you want to choose... for things to go back the way they are before, don't let me or anyone stop you because that would be wrong and-" but before Fuuka could finish, Minato held her tight in a soft warm hug, and very gently told her to stop and said it was alright. Soon Minato felt tears fall upon his shirt as the two stayed close like this for a while.

"I know. We've finally been reunited after so long due to unforeseen circumstances and... I feel things aren't right like this," Minato said. Fuuka said nothing as she held tight onto him. The silence grew as more tears leaked out her eyes as Minato gently caressed her soft hair. After some time passed, Fuuka finally spoke.

"I'm... so weak," Fuuka said. Minato had a very concerned expression as he listened. "I don't deserve to be with you... my tears say it all to how I think of you going away again. That's terrible of me and I'm an awful person for thinking that way,"

"No. Don't say that Fuuka," Minato whispered as he held her close. "You reacted like how anyone else would. You thought you finally moved on from the past... only for it to be forced onto you again so suddenly. You saw someone very close to you finally reappear, only for that person to get ready to say good bye once more, when it's possible for you to keep seeing him in the future. It's natural for you to feel this way. You've always been so hard on yourself,"

"I'm sorry Minato. I just have a very low opinion of myself as of late," Fuuka whispered softly.

"Don't. You're a great person. Come on. Let's hang out today and take advantage of that chairman's offer on room service. I know you're a fan of sweets. I know it's hard but let's make our memories of each other last for today," Minato said to cheer Fuuka up. Fuuka's eyes finally dried as she nodded happily and hugged Minato.

The two had a fun time hanging out today, even if they were just confined to this one floor. Minato and Fuuka eventually joined the others as they had a long discussion once more of what they were going to do. While mixed feelings were had, they ultimately decided it was best for Minato to make his own decision, since he was the one selected to become a fighter or not, and they would not judge him or hold him back from doing so.

* * *

As the time soon came, they all cleaned up, and dressed in a new Gekkoukan (or takes on it) uniform as they waited for Crimson to come down. The red wearing chairman came down as he said nothing to take them up, and soon they were all back in the conference room on the upper floor. This time they all had chairs to sit on as as the table was arranged to have both wide ends filled by both respective groups.

"So now that you're in a better state of mind and are refreshed, what do you say Mr. Arisato?" Golden asked, with a smile. "Are you ready to sign the contract to become an official fighter of Super Smash Bros?"

"We still have one thing we wanted to clarify before I sign anything," Minato stated. The chairmen all looked at each other and shrugged.

"What is it?" Fuchsia asked rudely. "What do you want clarified?"

"What if I said... no," Minato stated simply. The eight chairmen had you been able to see their eyes behind their sunglasses, were blinking rapidly upon hearing that.

"That's a good one Mr. Arisato! Quite the comedian you are," Sunset said, as the orange wearing chairman began to laugh, trying to stay enthusiastic. Golden began to laugh nervously as well, since his positivity was hoping what they heard was merely a joke.

"I'm not a comedian," Minato stated simply. Jade upon hearing this gritted his teeth.

"Are you being serious right now? You're going to pass up what anyone would love to be a part of, and wish to go back to being stuck as a seal to be hounded by humanities's negative emotions!?" Jade, the green wearing chairman yelled. "Do you know how many people would be jealous just to hear you even were given such an opportunity?"

"You didn't give him the opportunity. Your Master forced it on him. If he wants to accept what fate has given him, let him and let us all accept it as well. I have no problems," Shinjiro stated. His time had come, and he had no problems having to accept Minato's decision. He too thought this wasn't natural for them.

"This is a joke," Ash stated, as the gray wearing chairman couldn't believe what he was wearing.

"But The Master... revived you Mr. Arisato... and even brought your friends together to see you." Sky the cyan chairman, said dumbfounded. "He even revived the one who just said that questionable comment right now,"

"I know. That was not my choice," Minato said simply.

"But we have so much cool stuff here in Smash Tower! We have a indoor pool, a gym where you can train, various sports courts, chefs with Michelin stars serving in our cafeteria, a library, spas, therapy and counseling clinic, medical offices, and so on!" Sunset said trying to persuade the teen to stay. "I mean you name it, we probably have something for you to use or enjoy when you're not fighting the other fighters or something!"

"Indeed. Getting any job at Smash Corp, here at Smash Tower is very selective. We pick the best of the best to treat our employees who work here and our fighters who live here very well," Golden said with a smile, he was desperately trying to keep. "You want something? We probably got it. Heck I'll give you one of everything at our gift shop for free!"

"Nope." Minato stated smugly though Junpei couldn't help but drool at what he just heard, as it sounded like such a pampered life. Yukari quietly stepped on his right foot, to make him stop drooling, as Junpei comically closed his mouth in pain.

"This is unacceptable!" Fuchsia shouted. "Are all of your companions fine with this!?"

"We all approve. Also, we're not him. He is an independent young adult, capable of making his own decisions," Mitsuru stated. "Surely you eight realize that?"

"If he doesn't want to be a part of your tournament, it's what it is," Akihiko stated.

"Don't force him into it!" Ken shouted as Koromaru barked in agreement.

"As long as he does not sign the contract, he is not bound to any obligations" Aigis stated clearly.

"Whatever my bro wants to do, I'll let him," Junpei said, though a part of him really wanted all that free stuff and services.

"We're fine with whatever our leader decides to do," Yukari said calmly.

"Please reconsider Mr. Arisato," Azure the blue chairman, said quietly. "This is most... unprecedented. If you have any concerns or grievances, let us know. Does any issue trouble you?"

"Look... I really appreciate the opportunity. I understand The Master really wanted me to feel at home, when he wanted me to join and all for this occasion but... I'm fine not being a member of Super Smash Bros. You guys can think I'm stupid, crazy, or whatever, but my mind's made up," Minato said.

"What about the other fighters?" Azure asked. "You could form a bond with them. We currently have forty five other fighters as members of Super Smash Bros. That's potentially forty five new relationships you can make. Aren't you all about making bonds and friendships with others?"

"I had a good, satisfying life and accepted my fate... I'm not knocking you guys, the other fighters, or even The Master but... I'm satisfied with what I lived through. Going through with this tournament would be cheating the fate I accepted." Minato explained calmly. Fuuka smiled as she held onto Minato, nodding her head in agreement. It was a tough but respectable decision she agreed with, and was proud of Minato for sticking up for himself.

"Is that so?" Crimson stated darkly with a bit of anger. The members of SEES all turned to the red chairman, who had a smirk on his face. "This is an opportunity that you will surely regret. You are passing up the spotlight, the chance to be a star among the people here, and most importantly of all... you are denying what The Master wants. No one has ever denied what The Master wanted before,"

"You can't have everything in life," Minato said calmly. The eight chairmen all turned to face each other with frustrated but smug looks on their faces.

"Fine. We were prepared for this, considering your behavior last night. We all spoke to The Master after I dropped you all down at your living quarters, and he said if you were to refuse... you are now to take eight of his orders," Crimson explained.

"Orders?" Mitsuru said with disgust. "What exactly do you mean by that?"

"Challenges involving battles with the other fighters of Super Smash Bros, with certain conditions possibly," Azure calmly answered.

"Minato doesn't have to listen to your boss!" Yukari shouted angrily.

"Oh really? Then perhaps he should reconsider," Crimson stated darkly. He snapped his fingers, and soon what appeared in front of him appeared to be a golden trophy stand, that had the the Smash Bros symbol on it. "Do you all know what a trophy is?"

"A trophy? The stuff you win at competitions?" Junpei said, wondering why the red chairman held a trophy stand.

"Would you all believe me, that if Mr. Arisato does not sign this contract or complete eight of our Master's orders... the rest of you will each become a trophy?" Crimson said. Everyone from SEES now went wide eyed at what they just heard.

"Become a trophy!?" Junpei yelled in shock.

"Yes. Our Master is a big fan of collecting trophies. He can easily make all of you trophies as well. Made of whatever material, crafted to be detailed perfection, and so on." Crimson stated darkly. The members of SEES were all in a state of surprise, while Minato glared at the eight chairmen who all smirked back. Koromaru bared his fangs, while Ken tried to calm him down, though he was tempted to sic Koromaru on these eight individuals.

"Fine. I'll take on your Master's orders, but only on one condition," Minato said calmly.

"What is that condition Mr. Arisato?" Crimson stated curiously.

"If I complete all eight, then your Master has to give me the right to choose for myself, if I want to join or not," Minato stated. The eight all looked at each other unsure. Finally Crimson sighed.

"We'll speak with The Master tonight, and I'll visit you later in your room to see what I can do. Before you all go, we need to establish a few more things for you all," Crimson stated.

"Like what?" Akihiko asked skeptical.

"First we're going to give you all something." Jade said. He snapped his fingers and nine electronic tablets appeared. "These electronic tablets will explain the rules of Smash Bros, the different kinds of battles, the items and their use in Smash Bros during certain fights, the current arenas fought in, and other fighters you'll meet and so on. Think of it as your guidebook from Smash Corp in a sense."

Every member of SEES except Koromaru, picked up an electronic tablet and turned it on. They saw the Smash Bros symbol load up before they saw various categories listed on the tablet. However they noted that certain things had a lock symbol on it, such as fighters and arenas.

"Because of Mr. Arisato's refusal to outright join our tournament, we decided to lock off certain information on your tablets. We'll update it for each of our Master's orders as you'll come to see who you will fight next, where you'll be fighting, and such. In fact for everything else on our electronic guide where you'll have access to, we'll even have silhouettes of our fighters in photos till you face off against that person, in other sections of the guide. We're not letting you get any more sneak peeks till you satisfy The Master," Azure explained.

"Of course you can always sign the contract now and have all the information unlocked," Golden tempted with a big smirk plastered on his face. Minato shook his head for a no. "Well keep in mind the option is always open."

"Next thing on the agenda... you will be denied access to outside of Smash Tower and the rest of New York and outside in general." Fuchsia explained. "We're not going to let you meet the other fighters till we say you can. We have some control as well besides The Master. You will have access to certain floors of course like the gym and other stuff, but rest assured, you won't be seen, heard, or even have a presence by the other fighters and vice-versa till we make it possible with our influence if they're in the same floor at the time. Your electronic tablet will have a map of what's allowed and what isn't. Currently you are not allowed in any of the dorming floors of the other fighters,"

"You really want to keep me in the dark huh?" Minato said calmly. The chairmen ignored him, as another one of the brothers began to explain more.

"Final thing. The Master's orders will come by monthly. We will inform you on February 1st of your first order and you will have some time to prepare for your opponent or opponents in that order later within that month. Research, train, interview, do whatever you need to do to prepare for your challenge." Ash stated bluntly. "I suggest starting tomorrow you start preparing yourself with training and exploring the areas you have access to the in the Tower. You have all of January after all before Mr. Arisato's first order,"

"One more thing... that conference room in your floor is ready now. You should use it wisely to hold meetings and such when needed. Now leave," Crimson said with a bit more anger present.

* * *

The members of SEES all left immediately, not wanting to be in the presence of the eight chairmen anymore. As they rode the elevator back to their floor down, Junpei in particular began to insult them due to frustration.

"Those color coded jerks think they can do this to us and get away with it!" Junpei yelled mad.

"We're not going to let them turn us into life sized trophies! They're also holding us here for at least eight more months. We can't get out till possibly October at the latest!?" Yukari added, also furious.

"Calm down Iori and Takeba. I understand how you feel but we must remain calm in this situation," Mitsuru stated.

"She's right. A cool head will keep us focused on what we need to do," Akihiko stated.

"You believed in your convictions and I respect that," Shinjiro stated. "Do what you feel is right and don't let them or their Master sway your decision,"

"I will download all this data into my database and see what I can learn," Aigis stated.

"Don't worry Minato sempai. We believe in you!" Ken said, as Koromaru barked in agreement.

Minato smiled and nodded at all his companions as he was glad to hear their words of encouragements, or opinions of the matter. He looked toward Fuuka who nodded back. He was glad to have them all on his side. Soon they were all back in their respective rooms resting, except for Fuuka who still wanted to stay with Minato. As soon as Fuuka entered his room, she immediately began to overlook her tablet to see what she could study to help Minato out, but stopped when Minato told her to save it for tomorrow, as for now, he just wanted to spend some time together with her. She happily obliged as the two were simply talking quietly to each other as they sat on Minato's bed, when suddenly they heard a knock on the door. Minato went to the door with Fuuka following behind, opened it, and saw Crimson from before along with Ash behind him. Minato's face immediately formed a scowl.

"We talked to The Master and he said this. If you complete all eight of his orders, he said... he'll make himself available to you to discuss your proposition. Is that a fair deal for your condition?" Crimson said.

Minato internally cursed, but considering the situation, it didn't seem like he had much of a choice. He simply shook hands with Crimson, to show his agreement and acknowledgement. Crimson then snapped his fingers, as three suitcases appeared behind him. Two of them were really small, while the other was huge. He took the two small ones and placed them into Minato's room.

"Here is your Evoker. Also Ms. Yamagishi's Evoker as well, if she wishes to use it." Crimson stated. Both Minato and Fuuka opened their suitcase and saw a familiar sight, they haven't seen in a long time. It was a replica of their Evokers, they used to summon their Personas back when they were still fighting the Shadows during 2009. Fuuka was actually capable of summoning her Persona without one, but considering the circumstances it was still nice to have it. Ash then placed the large suitcase into the room.

"This suitcase contains weapons you are skilled with from many categories. I plan to provide the same to your other combat companions for the ones they specialize in, as well. Of course Ms. Yamagishi doesn't need any combat weapons because she's just useless and weak at that kind of stuff," Ash said bluntly. Minato immediately glared at the chairman as he left the room with his red wearing brother as they headed to the others, to start giving them their Evokers and weapons. Minato closed the door as Fuuka sighed as she still wanted to fight as well, besides being support.

"Maybe I should start training to use a weapon," Fuuka said quietly.

"Don't worry if you can't fight Fuuka. I don't want you getting hurt because of your anemia," Minato said with a concerned smile. "Ignore that blunt jerk. I'm going to need your support and navigation against the many new fighters I'll be facing off against soon. Never feel like you're useless Fuuka. It would break my heart,"

"Minato," Fuuka said happily as she happily hugged Minato again, who also happily obliged. She left with her Evoker, her tablet, and with a stronger resolution in her heart. She would support Minato and show those eight chairmen brothers along with their Master, that SEES were not to be messed with.

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**Oh man. I can't wait to write Chapter 3, where Minato will finally be facing off against someone from Smash Bros. Who's it going to be? You guys are going to have to wait and find out. Notes to address things as always.**

**1\. So for anyone worried about Minato and Fuuka taking all the focus for the Persona side, don't. I plan for each "Order," to have another member of SEES play a big role for each one, so everyone will get some time in the lime light. Not as much as those two, but definitely not a little. Who will it be for Chapter 3 to help out big time? You'll just have to wait and see.**

**2\. The whole concept of Master Orders is based on a mode in the Wii U version of Smash Bros, called Special Orders. You can take challenges from either Master Hand or Crazy Hand. This story will have it's own take on the mode, being incorporated into the story and all.**

**3\. ****So why did I say forty five fighters as opposed to forty nine (or fifty one if you count the three Mii Fighter classes separately)? Dr. Mario... is literally Mario in a Doctor suit. Characters like Lucina and Dark Pit are at least their own entity. Doc... not so much, so yeah. Samus and Zero Suit Samus are the same person as well technically. Zelda and Shiek as well. Mii Fighters I'm not incorporating into this story as of right now. At least not as one of the official fighters. We'll see what happens. **

**4\. One other reason I wanted to make Fuuka the co-star, is that Minato is obviously going to need some support against each opponent. Who better then the navigator who will be present in every fight? Though like note one says, each member of SEES will also significantly help out.**

**5\. So that video they watched, references Shulk's newcomer trailer. Though Shulk owns Bowser way faster in Gaur Plains in that, compared to what SEES watched. Plus they watched more of a proper match and all.**

**6\. The electronic tablets are basically to keep SEES up to speed. It's basically a player's guide for them with locked off information. That way they can know some stuff and not have to be constantly explained everything.**

**7\. When Yukari referenced Bowser as a cheap movie monster, it's a reference to Bowser's Snake Codec from Super Smash Bros Brawl... I'll miss you Snake for Super Smash Bros 3DS/Wii U...**

**8\. One of the chairman referenced the Female Protagonist of Persona 3, that's only in Persona 3 Portable. It's amazing how alternate realities can be so similar, yet so different sometimes.**

**That about does it. Next chapter I think might take a lot longer due to it having proper fight scenes and all. Hopefully not too long. Anyway guys, I hope you enjoyed and good luck with everything. Till next chapter!**


	3. Learning About Pits

**Chapter 3 is finally here! Actually it got so long, I had to split it into two parts. So you guys also get Chapter 4 today... sort of. Chapter 3 is setting up the fight, whereas Chapter 4 will have it. But anyway, thanks to everyone reading and I hope you enjoy! As always, if you got something to say, let me know as I'm open to any opinions, or thoughts. Enjoy guys!**

* * *

It was now January 31st in the morning as the members of SEES had sort of readjusted to their new temporary home. Despite being trapped in the tower, they were lucky it had many recreational things to do for entertainment or to self improve one's self. That and a laundry room to clean the clothes they had in their closets thankfully. The members of SEES had a meeting every morning at the conference room in their hallway, that resembled the one where they had met the chairmen (except without the chairmen, thankfully for their sake). It was in there they would review what they had known from what they've studied and learned in their time in Smash Tower from the huge guide within their electronic tablets. They were currently reviewing in their own conference room they had, at the moment.

"So a stock battle is like when you get knocked off the arena, a certain amount of times, you lose, and the other guy wins?" Junpei asked, as they were currently having a meeting.

"Correct Junpei-san," Aigis replied. "What is a stamina battle?"

"Combatants fight till they can no longer fight. They can still lose by traditional means by being knocked out the ring," Akihiko stated.

"Correct Akihiko-san. What is the Smash Ball item?"Aigis asked.

"Oh I know! It's a rare item that will sometimes show up on the arena if items are allowed to appear in the match. Whoever breaks it open, gets to unleash a really powerful attack or transformation they can't do normally easily, which is called a Final Smash apparently," Yukari said proudly.

"Correct Yukari-san. I believe we've all sufficiently reviewed for today," Aigis stated, as she began testing them much earlier. They all nodded as they got the hang of a lot of Smash related knowledge into them, due to the electronic tablets given to them. One example being how one can summon a shield on them by assuming a defensive stance but had to be careful not to let it break, or else they be rendered in a dizzy state. Or how knocking your opponent out of the ring was considered the standard in winning matches, and if it was a stock match with more then one stock, a revival platform would bring the knocked out fighter back, for their next stock. They still were in the dark about information like the other fighters and the arenas they be fighting in though. The only two fighters they saw were the ones in that video, along with that grassy plain with the cliffs being an arena. They also didn't have access to every item as they noted two items were locked off. One appeared to be a sphere, and the other looked like a glass container over a trophy stand.

"Yamagishi. How is the progress on uncovering the locked data going?" Mitsuru asked.

"Sorry. Nothing as usual due to those chairmen brothers encryption being really tight," Fuuka answered with a sigh, but she still smiled trying to keep her spirits up. She would not be deterred. "They were pretty clever to ban anything related to Smash Bros on the internet for all of us as well."

The chairmen were making their damnedest effort, to make sure they would never get information on things they didn't want them to know yet. They wanted them to be in the dark, till it came time for each order from their master.

"Well we'll find out who Minato is going to be fighting first tomorrow," Ken said. "Maybe he'll get lucky and he'll fight either that blonde guy with the unique red blade, or that giant monster turtle,"

"I wouldn't say that's necessarily lucky," Shinjiro muttered, as he recalled the damage the two did to each other. Being hit by that red blade, or drop kicked by that turtle seemed like it hurt a lot, even if it wasn't lethal. "But better against someone we've seen over someone we haven't,"

"Well I guess we'll find out tomorrow then." Minato answered calmly. The meeting was adjourned as everyone went their separate ways, while Fuuka opted to stay to see if she could make any progress with her data mining, as Minato headed to the gym for now followed by some of the others. He wasn't the only who kept up on his training though as they all kept up in shape, and continued to do so, all while helping him get back to fighting with whatever weapon they specialized in.

When not training Minato, each member themselves made sure to be improving themselves in some way. Yukari practiced her archery in a indoor archery range, they had fencing in the building as an activity that Mitsuru participated in while Junpei opted for Kendo when he wasn't off playing indoor baseball or at the arcade. Akihiko also trained in the gym with Minato, using the boxing equipment in there particularly, while Ken kept up by practicing with his spear in the gym as well, with Koromaru keeping pace on the treadmills to still be agile. Aigis also worked on improving on her combat experience as, she along with the other practiced on a sentient sandbag with big black eyes apparently named... Sandbag in the gym, as well. Needless to say, a sentient sandbag that apparently didn't mind getting beat up, wasn't as shocking as it could have been, considering everything else they already dealt with recently in terms of shock value. For Sandbag, seeing people shoot themselves with fake guns, and summoning creatures to attack it, besides those people just hitting him with their own weapons was more shocking.

When they weren't training, they did use Smash Tower's facilities in many ways during their breaks, when they needed them. Yukari loved to take the other girls to go shopping in the tower's clothing store that offered a huge selection of different fashion from all over. Mitsuru, Aigis, and Fuuka enjoyed using the library to read up on various literature it offered (though they were banned on anything related to Smash due to the chairmen influence), Junpei loved to use the indoor bowling alley and indoor mini golf range aside from playing baseball and being at the arcade, Akihiko, Shinjiro and Ken liked to take Koromaru in walks in the indoor nature park (even they were surprised by this) that one of the floors had, and Minato was glad to spend time in general with any of them during breaks from training.

Smash Tower had a ton of services, products, and things to experience in general, as many more things didn't get mentioned the members of SEES also experienced. Even though they enjoyed their time in that respect so far, they weren't swayed and knew that they wanted Minato to win his freedom if he didn't want to be a member of Smash Corp's latest fighting tournament. It didn't help they only saw employees who ran these services and never any of the other fighters due to the influence from the chairmen. Still they were content with each others company.

* * *

It was finally February 1st on a Sunday of 2015, as the members of SEES were taking the elevator up the office of the eight chairmen once again. It's been a while since that meeting in the beginning of January. All eyes were fixated on Minato who had a confident smirk. He was definitely ready for the first of these orders. They soon found themselves walking in the hallway leading to their conference room, as they all stopped in front of the wooden doors, that would lead them in.

"You ready Minato?" Fuuka asked. Minato gave her a gentle smile, as he then turned to face the doors and opened them. What stood out that only one of eight brothers was there. Crimson, the red wearing chairman who gave them all a glare.

"Where's your brothers?" Shinjiro asked, surprised to be only seeing one of them.

"The Master wanted us each to present and explain one of his orders. Fitting since my brothers and I make up eight, and he has eight orders. Anyway, why don't you all take a seat," Crimson answered. They all took seats as he eyed them all, and then eventually Minato. He snapped his fingers, and he soon clutched in his red gloves, what appeared to be a large red ticket.

"This ticket will describe who you will be fighting, where you will be fighting, and any other conditions if present. If you complete the order, I'll acknowledge it and stamp it. Lose... well you better be ready to sign that contract as that's what The Master said your repercussion would be or get ready to have all your pals as trophies," Crimson explained. "Also anything you learn on this ticket and future ones, will be updated in your database. Anyway... your first order has you fighting two opponents,"

"Hold on. Two opponents? That's not fair," Yukari shouted, annoyed by what she heard. Koromaru agreed as he began to bark at the red chairman. "Minato is at a disadvantage already if that's the case,"

"I never said he be fighting them alone," Crimson stated. "For this battle... he is actually paired with you Ms. Takeba,"

"I"m paired with him? So it's a team battle? Two on two?" Yukari felt awkward as everyone turned to face her. This was definitely something none of them expected. They were aware that team battles were something they've always done. The latest tournament in particular allowed four teams of two, allowing eight fighters to fight at once, aside from letting up to eight fight for themselves as well. But having Yukari fight as well? "But I'm not the one wanted to be a fighter in this tournament. Is that allowed?"

"It's what The Master ordered. Simple as that. Anyway your battle will be on February 13th during 3PM. Your opponents will visit your floor and take you where you need to go at 2:50PM," Crimson said, having calmed down. He then handed the red ticket to Minato who carefully looked it over at the information it had, as well as Yukari as she looked over to read the information as well.

"My opponents are Pit... and Dark Pit?" Minato stated, wondering who these two were. The name Dark Pit stood out a lot, considering the other fighter was just plain old Pit.

"Who names their kid Pit? Actually... who the heck would even name their kid Dark Pit?" Junpei said confused. The rest had to agree. Those were some really particular names.

"Those two are probably the best fighters who are archers in our current tournament," Crimson exclaimed. "It's probably most likely why The Master chose Ms. Takeba to be Mr. Arisato's partner for this fight, since she herself is also an expert archer, and is aware that Mr. Arisato is capable with a bow as well. Though keep in mind you can use all and any weapons you are skilled with, along with your Persona abilities during your fight,"

Yukari nodded. She would have to start training Minato with a bow a lot more, to really get some expert use out of it, if Pit and Dark Pit were really that good. Minato continued to read on as he saw the details regarding where the fight was taking place.

"The arena Yukari and I will be fighting in, is called... the Reset Bomb Forest?" Minato also said.

"Oh yes, I should clarify another thing. A majority of the arenas in this competition are based off locations from places and during events from fighters and their home worlds. In other words, they're recreated to depict a certain location and sometimes during certain events from that world, for the most part." Crimson explained. "The Reset Bomb Forest is a location from both Pit and Dark Pit's world, during a certain time period in this case. You can all learn more later,"

From what they just heard, two pieces of information caught the attention of SEES. The first was the fact that multiple fighters could be accepted from the same world into this competition. The second was that it probably meant Pit and Dark Pit were connected in some way, judging by their names and being from the same world. Yukari decided to read the last bit of information out loud, as it described the battle conditions.

"It will be a one stock battle, no time limit, and only one kind of item will have a chance of spawning at a very low rate during this battle," Yukari read. This was thankfully pretty standard, as it had no crazy conditions from what she saw, though she wondered what that one item was. Sometimes fights would have more crazy conditions implemented into fights sometimes from what she studied up on.

"So that's everything I can say. Use this opportunity wisely, as all available information on your two opponents is now available. Their past, their fighting style, and so on. You can also now research the Reset Bomb Forest as well." Crimson explained.

"So now our electronic tablets should have that information, correct?" Aigis stated. Crimson nodded back in response.

"Yes. Also I can arrange an appointment for you all to meet Pit and Dark Pit if you all want. I can set one up this Wednesday around 1PM. Is that alright?" Crimson asked. They all nodded, as getting to know their opponents in person, was probably a wise move. "Alright, does anyone here have any questions?"

Fuuka raised her hands, as Crimson looked towards her. The red chairman pointed at her, and signaled for her to speak.

"Would I be allowed to be on the battlefield but only as, an observer?" Fuuka asked. Crimson raised his red eyebrows, but began to consider if that was allowed. He did recall that a certain boxer who recently joined, was allowed to have his trainer who was obsessed with eating chocolate bars, give words of encouragement during his fights. That and a certain green haired goddess who liked to give words of wisdom to Pit if he fought on a stage, that she was most particularly associated with, also was allowed.

"Fine. You can't interfere with the fight in terms of any healing but I suppose I can allow you to scan and relay information." Crimson answered, aware of Fuuka's abilities. "That's it though. I suppose we can set you up with a revival platform to watch the battle from. You'll be safe of course, so don't worry about being hurt while on one. Anyway I guess that about settles it. You should all get going and start preparing," and with that the meeting adjourned.

As they rode the elevator back down to head to the floor they all stayed at, Fuuka looked like she had something she really wanted to say, as her mind raced with something she had in mind, since the meeting they just had.

"Umm... I was thinking of doing all the research of Pit, Dark Pit, and the Reset Bomb Forest today for all of us." Fuuka stated.

"Are you sure Yamagishi?" Mitsuru asked concerned. "We can all find out together about those fighters and that arena,"

"It's just that... you guys have all been training Minato and yourselves and I've yet to find any information out from the tablets. I feel this will be my chance to really contribute. During tomorrow morning's meeting, I can summarize everything we need to know about Pit, Dark Pit, and the Reset Bomb Forest after a lot of research," Fuuka explained.

They all looked unsure, except Minato who nodded towards her. They were all surprised by Minato allowing Fuuka to task this all on her own self, but then he began to explain his reasoning.

"While it's true we've always been a team effort, sometimes we all need our moments alone to do something. Fuuka is really good with information and research, so this is something she can easily do, and wants to do in this case. Though I will say that if you do need any help, don't hesitate to ask any of us Fuuka," Minato explained. Fuuka nodded, as she was happy, to hear Minato allow her to do this.

"Well if she wants to do it, I say we let her," Yukari stated. "Anyway... it looks like we got a lot of archery stuff to cover."

"Well seeing your skills with that large pink bow of yours, I do think you are a really good archery teacher," Minato stated. Yukari immediately felt embarrassment as she recalled the weapon, those chairmen gave her was a replica of what Kikuno gave her during the P-1 Climax incident. A bow called the Ultimate Arrow as it was based off what her character, in the TV show she acted as, used during the show.

"Oh yeah. The Ultimate Arrow!" Ken stated. "The Master and those chairmen who work for him must have been aware of the P-1 Climax incident to give you that,"

"I guess he's got an extreme attention for detail like Kikuno," Mitsuru stated. Yukari sighed, as she remembered how during that incident, she was stuck wearing her ranger outfit from acting, since she didn't have time to change afterward. This caused a lot of interesting interactions between her and other people involved to have occurred.

"Anyway... I'll do you proud Minato!" Yukari exclaimed. "I'll make sure we won't lose this upcoming fight."

* * *

The day soon passed as Yukari decided to take over being the main trainer for Minato, for the first order. He still trained with the others briefly today, but Yukari wanted to make sure how to really handle a bow, and how to dodge someone using one as well. Soon next morning came, as they all watched Fuuka setup the computer in their conference room and turned the lights off. Soon a 3D holographic model of Pit appeared on screen, and they all saw the fighter for the first time.

"I didn't know we had this stuff in our conference room," Junpei remarked, while Yukari shushed him, as they saw the model rotate. He was what appeared to be a white angel with big blue eyes, who wore a white tunic that had gold and red helms on the bottom, a with a black undershirt under the tunic. He also wore a white scarf, a gold laurel crown upon his many tufts of brown spiky hair. His tunic was fastened by what appeared to be a brown belt with a triangular gold belt buckle, and wore black shirts. He wore brown sandals that decorated were decorated with crossing beige bands, with the top edges lined with white wool. He finally wore a cuff on each arm that looked to be made of bronze and gold. They all noticed he wielded a metal bow, that had golden ornate edges on the outside, and blue patterns carved on the insides.

"So this is Pit. He sure is wearing a lot," Ken said, amazed that such a being existed, even if he was from another world.

"So Pit's a Greek angel? Never seen that coming," Shinjiro said, unsure of what else to make of this individual.

"What can you tell us about him, Yamagishi?" Mitsuru asked, very curiously.

"What should I start with?" Fuuka replied.

"Why don't we start with his occupation?" Aigis suggested. Fuuka nodded as she recalled what she knew about Pit.

"This is Pit. He's an angel that comes from a world filled with gods, goddesses, and many other supernatural beings. He serves a goddess whose name is Palutena, and she's the Goddess of Light. He is also the captain of her royal guard. Pit has fought many battles to serve Palutena to protect humanity, from those who wish to harm it," Fuuka explained.

"Good to know he's a good guy then," Akihiko said.

"How does he fight? I'm really curious to see what one of the best archers in this competition is capable of," Yukari asked. Fuuka turned the holographic model off and began to put on a video. In the video it showed Pit in what seemed be a totally white room, practicing his moves on Sandbag.

"Let's start with his main weapon called Palutena's Bow. It was made from Palutena who he serves under and besides being a bow, can split into two blades," Fuuka explained, as the video showed Pit using melee attacks on Sandbag with his bow now split into two blades. Eventually he stopped to take a breather.

"Next his bow can shoot arrows that he can guide when his bow is connected like it is normally," Fuuka said. Pit in the video then placed his two blades back and began to fire what appeared to be a blueish white arrow made of energy. He soon began firing arrows and somehow had the ability to guide the arrow, before they dissipated into thin air eventually. Yukari in particular gulped, as that was way above of what she was capable of. Sure she could have her Persona influence her shots with her wind abilities, but Pit was definitely in another league.

"Wow. I'm a really good shot but if he can guide his arrows like that, that's really good," Yukari said impressed. "What else can he do?"

"Besides wielding Palutena's Bow, he has two other weapons he uses. One of which is the Guardian Orbitars." Fuuka continued to explain. Ken raised his hands, as Fuuka nodded towards the young boy with a smile, signalling for him to speak.

"What's an orbitar?" Ken asked with curiosity. They all felt a bit awkward, as they've never heard of such a thing before.

"Searching my databases... I cannot find anything matching orbitar," Aigis said with a little disappointment.

"Seems like something that only exists in Pit's universe then," Shinjiro said. "I'm not too surprised. I mean they probably don't have stuff like Personas in his,"

"Orbitars from what I researched are satellite like weapons that revolve around the person using them. They always come in a pair. The Guardian Orbitars that Pit uses for this tournament specializes in defense," Fuuka explained. Pit then used his Guardian Orbitars as two small orange shields with gold designs on them appeared to the sides of him, and projected what appeared to be two large shields of light, of the same shield, in a blueish yellow color in front of them. "With the Guardian Orbitars, Pit can use them to reflect projectiles that are coming towards him, away from him and possibly back at the sender,"

"So if I shot an arrow at Pit, and he used those Guardian Orbitars, it could come back and hit me possibly?" Yukari asked, with a pained expression. Fuuka nodded, causing Yukari to groan. "That sounds annoying to deal with since I'm primarily an archer,"

"It does have a weakness. When Pit uses them, he leaves himself open from above. Maybe if one of you two bait Pit into using his Guardian Orbitars, the other can then strike from above?" Fuuka suggested. Minato and Yukari looked at each other and then at Fuuka, with a pleased smile.

"That's a great idea Fuuka." Minato praised, causing the teal haired girl to smile.

"You said earlier that he also has one other weapon. What is it?" Akihiko asked.

"He has one more weapon called the Upperdash Arm. Arms are blunt weapons fitted over someone's arm from his world. The Upperdash Arm allows Pit to do a dash where if he makes contact with you, he'll uppercut you with it, and it'll always send you straight up," Fuuka explained. Pit then quickly placed what appeared to be a gold armament with a red spinning wheel with a blue center attached at the end, on his left arm, dashed towards Sandbag and gave the bag a powerful uppercut.

"I definitely don't want to be out the receiving end of something like that," Akihiko said, a bit impressed.

"In terms of getting back onto the arena if he gets knocked out, or wants to move around in the air, Pit can flap his wings four times before tiring out. He can also use something called the Power of Flight," Fuuka continued to explain.

"Oh don't tell me he can fly. That be practically cheating," Junpei whined.

"Actually... he can't fly for some reason." Fuuka answered, feeling bad for the angel. "What the Power of Flight allows him to do, is launch himself into the air when he invokes it, but it only goes a certain distance. While his recovery in general is really good, if he uses the Power of Flight and he's falling towards the ground, he can't do anything else till he hits the ground again, so he's really vulnerable during that period of time. That about wraps it up I think except for his... Final Smash,"

"What is his Final Smash?" Aigis asked. They all froze, as they all realized that Smash Balls could possibly show up in this fight as that one item that was allowed. Fuuka took a deep breath as she sighed.

"Pit's Final Smash is called the Three Sacred Treasures. He equips three legendary pieces of equipment in his universe. The Wings of Pegasus, the Mirror Shield, and the Arrow of Light. When he equips all three, he gains a special armor and helmet, and his bow becomes significantly powered up. He will then shoot a lot of powered up arrows, and then finish off by shooting special beams of light that will make powerful light pillars rain down," Fuuka explained. The video then showed Pit breaking a Smash Ball as he glowed, with an intense aura and his eyes now glowed yellow.

"Bye now! Three Sacred Treasures activate!" they all heard Pit shout. He then summoned the Three Sacred Treasures, as he donned them. Soon he began firing a barrage of powerful red and green arrows in front of him, before firing special blue arrows into the sky, that had big blue beams of light pillars descend all over for a bit, as Pit went back to no longer having that Aura and his special armor was gone. Pit had a sheepish smile, as he helped the beat up Sandbag stand up again. Pit then floated in the air very briefly and posed angelically, looking up while white feathers flew off from his wings, as the video ended.

"Holy crap!" Junpei said, intimidated by what he saw. "That was nuts!"

"So that's the power of one with their Final Smash. Truly a force to be reckoned with," Mitsuru stated both impressed and a bit intimidated.

"Can you even avoid that thing?" Ken said, with worry present in his voice.

"Sort of. Well most of it at least. Pit's Final Smash does have one weakness. All the shots fired at the beginning with the red and green arrows are mainly in front of him. Once he dons the Three Sacred Treasure, he can only shoot those arrows in front of him. If you're behind him when he does that, the only real arrows you'll have to avoid damage from, are the blue descending ones from the sky," Fuuka said to try to relieve everyone. "I guess we should move onto Dark Pit next, unless anyone wants to discuss the regular Pit more?"

The rest of SEES turned to face each other, wondering if anyone had any more questions about regular Pit. No one indicated as such, so Fuuka nodded and decided to move onto discussing Dark Pit. She closed the video depicting Pit's moves, and then showed a holographic screen of Dark Pit. He looked nearly identical to the regular Pit, except all his clothing was black except for the gold laurel crown, yellow crossing bindings on his sandals, and his cuffs were black and gold. His hair was black, his wings were black (though narrower and sharper compared to Pit), and his eyes were red instead of blue. However he was seen wielding a different weapon from Pit as well. It appeared to be some sort of purple staff like rifle. Or was it a purple rifle like staff? Either way it was different from the weapon Pit wielded which was the Palutena's Bow.

"Talk about trying too hard," Shinjiro said, while rolling his eyes, at Dark Pit's all black attire.

"I don't know. He kind of reminds me of Minato when I first met him. A lot more serious and all that," Junpei joked. Minato rolled his eyes upon hearing that, though he couldn't deny he didn't open up as much till the year went on in 2009 and he opened his heart up more. That and meeting a certain shy girl, whose innocence won him over.

"So what's his story? He's probably connected to Pit, considering his name, appearance, and the fact he's from the same world as him," Akihiko asked.

"Dark Pit was created from something called the Mirror of Truth which the enemies that Pit were fighting a while back used on Pit. It basically can create a copy of someone or something, but while it created Dark Pit, it broke in the process because of Pit shattering it," Fuuka explained.

"Why does a copy machine mirror breaking matter?" Junpei asked.

"Because apparently the bad guys that used it on Pit, intended for Dark Pit to serve them. But because the Mirror of Truth broke as it made Dark Pit, it just made him only serve himself as opposed to anyone else." Fuuka explained

"So because his creation process ended up being not perfect, he's independent? He doesn't work for Palutena or anyone else?" Ken asked, with curiosity.

"Yes. He dislikes the gods and goddesses in his world, because he believes that they are the cause of all the chaos and wars in his world. He's also believed to be the physical manifestation of Pit's... true feelings and negativity in general as he claims to be his true reflection," Fuuka explained. Hearing that, the members of SEES involved in the P-1 Grand Prix and P-1 Climax remembered how Shadow Labrys was a thing.

"So he's like Labrys's Shadow? Akihiko questioned.

"Sort of. I mean, I don't think the world Pit and Dark Pit are from has stuff like Personas, Shadows, and such but... I guess Dark Pit could be considered some sort of equivalent." Fuuka answered back.

"So does he fight like Pit or differently?" Yukari asked. She was also going to be fighting this guy as well after all. Fuuka made the holographic image disappear as she then played a video that showed off Dark Pit in what appeared to be the same room, practicing his moves against Sandbag. They all noted that he was now wielding a weapon that looked similar to Pit's Palutena Bow, except the gold ornament edges were now silver. He was doing what appeared to be the same kind of melee attacks that Pit himself used earlier, as he also split his bow into two blades.

"Dark Pit fights extremely similar to Pit here in this tournament. That weapon he's wielding right now is called the Silver Bow, which is a prototype of Pit's Palutena Bow. The arrows of darkness, it fires are a little bit more strong, compared to Pit's arrows of light, but he can't guide them as far," Fuuka explained, as Dark Pit began to fire what appeared to be purplish black arrows at Sandbag. They all noted that whenever Dark Pit guided his arrows, they definitely could not be as influences as much, compared to Pit.

"Stronger damage, but less guidance to his arrows," Mitsuru mused. "So he's more of the damage raiser of the two in that sense. What's the same between the two?"

"For what's the same, he also invokes the Power of Flight and uses the Guardian Orbitars. He also has the same weaknesses when using those moves, so keep that in mind. He however doesn't use the Upperdash Arm, and uses a weapon called the Electroshock Arm instead," Fuuka continued to explained.

"Electroshock Arm?" Yukari asked very concerned. She and her Persona were not a big fan of electricity, as it was her devastating weakness whenever it came to fighting Shadows.

"Yes. His Electroshock Arm has an electricity effect, and opposed to launching opponents upwards with his uppercuts with it, it will launch his opponents diagonally," Fuuka said. The video showed Dark Pit putting on a big bulky bluish black cylindrical armament over his left arm, that crackled with electricity, as he dashed and gave Sandbag an uppercut, launching the bag diagonally.

"Whoa. Better hope he doesn't use that against you Yuka-tan," Junpei teased. Yukari cringed very hard upon hearing that, and watching Dark Pit using his Electroshock Arm against Sandbag.

"Well Yukari can always focus on fighting Pit, and Minato can focus on fighting Dark Pit," Fuuka suggested. "As long as Dark Pit doesn't decide to go after Yukari, we can keep her weakness away from being used against her,"

"That's a great idea Yamagishi. Also Dark Pit shouldn't know of Takeba's weakness, so let's keep it that way," Mitsuru praised.

"But what about that weapon we saw him holding earlier? In that holographic model of him and all?" Shinjiro questioned.

"That weapon is called the Dark Pit Staff and is what he uses for his Final Smash," Fuuka explained. Dark Pit on the video then broke a Smash Ball for himself as he now glowed an intense aura and had yellow glowing eyes. "He fires an extremely powerful shot from it, that will usually send opponents out of the arena if it hits."

"Good bye!" they all heard Dark Pit shout, as he summoned his Dark Pit Staff and pointed it to Sandbag in front of him. The staff fired an extremely powerful shot in front of it, hitting Sandbag and causing the bag to go flying. After that, Dark Pit split his bow into two blades and had a smug expression on his face.

"Who wants some!?" Dark Pit shouted, as he used his left hand gripping onto one of his blades, as he taunted by signaling for someone to come closer. The video then ended, after Dark Pit made that taunt.

"Wow. He sounds similar to Pit, but a lot meaner and more serious than him as well," Junpei said.

"His name is Dark Pit, Junpei," Yukari said with rolling eyes. "I think it's safe to say he's ruder then the regular Pit,"

"Hey I'm just saying. I'm not the one dealing with him and Pit. You and Minato are going to have to deal with those two," Junpei replied. Yukari just sighed.

"I believe it is time for us to discuss the Reset Bomb Forest," Aigis suggested. Fuuka nodded as she began to play a video that showcased this area. It was what appeared to be an castle ruins like area with two main platforms that are separated by a pit in the middle, which had a wooden platform above it. The right platform still had a castle wall remaining, that had two mode wooden platforms attached to it. The background depicted many creatures in the air, while the ground below had what appeared to be many humans fighting.

"I don't see the forest part of this," Ken said confused. "Or a reset bomb. Whatever that is,"

Eventually the video showed what appeared to be an astral projection of what appeared to be a young girl with blue eyes and blonde hair, a dress that had red, purple, and pink coloring, and wielded a staff made of wood, shaped into some kind of symbol at the top.

"The world is better off without you!" the girl shouted, as what appeared to be a large spherical object that resembled a giant mutated acorn, crashed into the ground, causing a giant pink explosion. Soon the arena changed into what appeared to be a large pink forest with pink trees, as the remains of the castle ruins were scattered about as platforms. They even saw a bizarre creature that flew slowly near the pits that resembled a long large skeleton fish.

"Who was that? What the hell did she just do!?" Akihiko shouted.

"That's Viridi. She's the goddess of nature in their world. She dislikes humanity for their destruction of nature, so she sent down a a reset bomb, to restore things back to nature." Fuuka explained.

"So it's a nature nuke, basically?" Junpei asked. Fuuka nodded, as Junpei made sure from that point on, he would always recycle, even if this goddess was from another world.

"Well I'm glad I don't live in that world," Shinjiro said. "Eco-terrorism to the extreme much?"

"What was that flying creature though?" Aigis asked with curiosity.

"That fish bone creature is called a Lurchthorn. They're one of many creatures that serve in Viridi's army called the Forces of Nature. During the Reset Bomb Forest arena though, they'll just fly around below the platforms. If you make contact with one, it will hurt so try to avoid them," Fuuka answered.

"Got it," Yukari said. "Forces of Nature huh? Geez... don't want to mess with her,"

Fuuka asked if anyone else wanted to say anything but everyone stayed silent. Fuuka closed the computer, as she put the lights back up, as Minato pondered all the new information he has just learned.

"So we're going to have lunch with these two tomorrow huh? That's going to be interesting," Minato stated. They all wondered how these two were going to be like, and if they could learn anything to help them out.

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**What did you guys think? Also enjoy Chapter 4 as well. Couple of quick notes.  
**

**1\. The calendar used for 2015 is based off the one in real life, so I made sure to match the dates appropriately.**

**2\. The way I setup the OC chairmen from this point on, will allow the casts of both series to flourish more for the most part. They'll still play big a role from time to time, and especially towards the end.  
**

**3\. Keep in mind every order has different fight conditions. So just because Yukari is teaming up with Minato for this one, not every order will be a team battle necessarily. Nonetheless every SEES member will get some spotlight. Yukari will take Chapter 3 and 4 in this case.**

**Alright enough for now. Hoped you enjoyed Chapter 3, now enjoy Chapter 4!**


	4. Archers, Angels, & Arrows

**So besides Chapter 3, enjoy Chapter 4 guys! Also if you got a pair of headphones I recommend listening to a theme later, when the fight starts. You'll see what I mean. Don't be afraid to say anything on your mind. Enjoy!**

* * *

The next day of February 3rd came soon as Minato, Fuuka, and Yukari sat at a table in the cafeteria. Fuuka had a teal notebook on her and a sharp pencil with a sharpener, ready to take down any notes they could possibly learn. The others sat at a different table. It was always awkward for them all since the cafeteria was so big, but they could only hear and see themselves. If the other fighters were there having lunch at the moment, they surely couldn't see or hear them. Same for the other fighters seeing them as well.

Soon Pit and Dark Pit walked in, with Pit waving a friendly hand expression to the members of SEES, while Dark Pit scowled. This was weird for them as this was apparently the first time the two saw them, despite being in Smash Tower for about a month. That and the chairmen told everyone to not have lunch during this time period, so Pit and Dark Pit wouldn't be distracted by the other fighters, as they had their interview with them. Pit and Dark Pit were also told not to not talk about anything regarding Minato with all with the other fighters unless they were told otherwise, later on. They also knew that Minato was the only one joining, despite having a guest fight with him, for this upcoming match.

"Hiya! I'm Pit, and I serve Palutena, Goddess of Light! This guy with me is Pittoo," Pit said happily as he used a common nickname, that he and others used for Dark Pit, as they sat down on the same table as Minato, Fuuka, and Yukari.

"Will you quit calling me that?" Dark Pit replied, very annoyed. "Anyway, I'm Dark Pit. Servant to no other but myself."

"I'm Minato. She's Yukari, and she's Fuuka," Minato said to introduce himself and the girls that were at the table with him. Pit happily shook hands with the three, while Dark Pit just sighed.

"So what do you want to know about us?" Dark Pit asked skeptical. The chairmen told them they be having a special match with them on February 13th. Apparently Minato was being tested to join them from what they were told. Dark Pit wondered why he was being tested as opposed to being accepted right away.

"Umm... so how well do you two get along?" Yukari asked. Pit looked at Dark Pit with a smile, while Dark Pit just frowned.

"Oh Pittoo? He's like a brother to me. Granted he's not as popular as me but it's alright," Pit boasted jovially.

"I said to quit calling me that," Dark Pit answered to Pit with gritted teeth, while Fuuka noted that Dark Pit really hated that nickname, as she jotted that down in her teal notebook.

"Who came up with that nickname?" Yukari asked.

"Lady Palutena of course. She's the best isn't she?" Pit gushed.

"You're such a kiss up to her," Dark Pit said annoyed.

"Well at least I'm not always so gloom and doom all the time Pittoo," Pit said back.

"Well you're always so annoyingly cheerful instead. I rather not be an annoying pit stain like you," Dark Pit replied back.

"Pit stain? I don't sweat that much. Well... you're a sweaty arm pit!" Pit shouted back annoyed, trying to insult him back.

"As if. I don't stink like a loser, like you do. Also, you're a pit hole considering all the food you always gobble up. I've heard Palutena say she's seen you eat questionable things off the floor," Dark Pit shouted back.

"Floor ice cream gives you health!" Pit yelled back, as both butted their heads against each other, growling at each other. The members of SEES watching all felt awkward at the childish argument the two were having with each other, and the apparent fact Pit had ate ice cream off the floor at some point in his life and thought it was alright. They weren't expecting Pit and Dark Pit to be so childish with each other, or in general. Fuuka was taking notes on how Pit and Dark Pit easily got into arguments with each other.

"Umm... right," Yukari stated. "How about we ask something else? Umm... anything you two are into?"

"I love hot springs!" Pit yelled enthusiastically catching the members of SEES off guard, due to his loud happy reaction, as he and Dark Pit stopped butting heads. "Oh man, just thinking about it makes me want go in one right now!"

"You don't even change into a swimming tunic whenever when we're on the floor for hot springs. You just dive right in, fully dressed like you are right now and all," Dark Pit said.

"Well the angel's code of conduct demands that we're always on duty and be ready at all times," Pit stated. Dark Pit narrowed his eyes at Pit, which caused the good angel to sigh. "OK. It also saves money on laundry,"

"But Smash Tower has a laundry room with free laundry though. Why would you need to save money?" Fuuka asked confused. Dark Pit narrowed his eyes even more at Pit, causing the angel to sigh once more.

"Alright. I really just don't want to steam the sacred buns," Pit stated embarrassed. Everyone else had a awkward expression on their face once more, while Dark Pit laughed at Pit's expense.

"We're done talking about this," Yukari said feeling very awkward. "Minato, why don't you ask them some questions?"

"Hold on. We have our own questions too you know," Dark Pit stated. "First off, why the heck is high school headphones here, not a member already? None of us were tested as far as I know, to join this competition. We signed a contract and that was it,"

"I'm not obligated to answer that," Minato stated calmly. Minato from hearing that, figured that Pit and Dark Pit didn't get the full story about why he was fighting them, and for now decided it was best to not let them know all the details. To them, he looked like he was being tested to get in, when in reality Minato was fighting for his right not to be in this competition.

"What?" Dark Pit asked, angrily. "We answered your questions but you can't answer ours?"

"Well if you want to get technical, we didn't technically have to answer the questions they asked us," Pit said. Dark Pit gave Pit a smack on his head from just hearing that, leading to Pit and Dark Pit butting heads once more as they argued with each other briefly. As soon as the two calmed down, Minato decided to answer for them.

"The thing is, I don't know if we can. The chairmen might not want us talking about that reason. Sorry but that's all I can say," Minato said quietly.

"Oh if that's the case, I totally understand," Pit said in response.

"I don't know pit hole. Maybe your insane gullibility is probably working against you at the moment," Dark Pit said skeptical.

"Me? Gullible? No way. Give me an example," Pit challenged to his dark counterpart.

"I heard Palutena say, she loves to trick you into thinking she'll squeeze your head wreath, if you don't follow her orders," Dark Pit answered.

"Well... it's a good trick. I don't want my brains squeezed out!" Pit answered embarrassed. Everyone else was seriously wondering what the IQ of Pit was, while Fuuka took note of Pit's gullibility, with her notebook. "Can you guys tell us how you fight at least though? I mean I heard you two got to research us so wouldn't it be fair in return,"

"Sorry but we're the freshmen here in this kind of situation. You guys are the veterans after all." Minato replied calmly. Pit sighed disappointed, while Dark Pit rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. I like a challenge. Anyway we're done here. I'm going to get some grub," Dark Pit said, as he stood up and dragged off Pit by his white scarf, who still wanted to sit down and talk with them. He then stopped as he decided to look at Minato and Yukari and pointed at them with his free hand, that wasn't dragging Pit by the neckline of his white tunic. "Just know this. In our upcoming fight, I'll be happy to launch you two into the stratosphere!"

Yukari glared at Dark Pit, who walked away dragging Pit, to get some food from the chefs in the cafeteria, while the nicer angel comically waved his hands to try to apologize for Dark Pit's words. The rest of SEES now walked up to the table where Minato, Yukari, and Fuuka sat.

"So those two were... very interesting," Mitsuru stated, not expecting their personalities to be like this.

"They actually remind me of Yukari-san and Junpei-san whenever they have conversations," Aigis teased, as Koromaru barked in agreement. Both Junpei and Yukari looked at each other with extreme embarrassment.

"That is so not true!" Yukari stated. "Though if it was... I guess I'm Dark Pit and Junpei's regular Pit,"

"What? Why would I be Pit?" Junpei whined.

"Because I don't see myself eating ice cream off the floor. You on the other hand... well it's possible right?" Yukari teased as Junpei looked at her annoyed.

"Did we learn anything out of them?" Ken asked.

"That's a good question Ken. What did we take away from this?" Akihiko stated.

"Other then Pit being a total goofball and Dark Pit being all serious business, not much apparently," Shinjiro stated. Fuuka began to overlook her notes. The three main ones being that Dark Pit hated being called Pittoo, the two liked to argue and fight with each other a lot, and Pit was really gullible. Maybe... just maybe... if those two were that immature just before... maybe it apply in battle as well?

"Well... I think we can actually use Dark Pit's nickname, their conflict with each other, and Pit's gullibility against them during the fight," Fuuka suggested, as she soon began to tell them what was on her mind. After they were all done listening, Yukari had a big grin on her face.

"That can totally work. Considering what we just saw, they're probably that immature in battle as well." Yukari stated.

"Guess we better start training then. To fight them... and to rile them up against each other and themselves," Minato said with a smirk, as they all decided to get food for themselves in the cafeteria, before continuing with their daily training, to get Minato ready. Yukari and Fuuka in particular were really ready to help out, as this would be the first of many battles they would need to complete, for Minato's freedom.

* * *

February 13th came by and Yukari made sure to train Minato really hard with the bow. The chairmen also gave her access to her other stuff from the Featherman show she used during the P-1 Climax, besides the replica of the Ultimate Arrow bow she now wielded. Minato, Yukari, and Fuuka stood in the hallway with their Evokers, as they waited for Pit and Dark Pit to pick them up while the others waiting in the conference room. Crimson told them they can all watch the match live from that room, as he provided a large wall screen TV to watch. Soon Pit and Dark Pit came down, and the five of them were in an elevator, as the two angels took them to where they needed to go to get to the arena.

"Good luck in the match," Pit said in a friendly tone.

"Thanks. Same for the both of you," Yukari stated.

"Tch. You two are going to need the luck more. Like I said before, get ready for the two of you, to be sent flying into the stratosphere!" Dark Pit taunted. Yukari glared at the dark angel, while Minato rolled his eyes and looked towards Fuuka. The teal haired girl nodded back with a smile. This was it, the first order from The Master they were going to take on.

They soon arrived at a floor the members of SEES have never been on. It held what appeared to be eight huge teleportation devices all connected to what appeared to be some sort of tablet device and a large monitor. Crimson was there working the tablet as he inputted the arena, the conditions, and such.

"Alright. Mr. Arisato and Ms. Takeba, are you two ready to face off against Pit and Dark Pit?" the red chairman asked. They looked towards each other and nodded. "Ms. Yamagishi, like I said earlier, you can give advice and scan for information, but otherwise you can't use your abilities to heal him or anything like that. Do you understand?"

Fuuka nodded. The three of them then heard Dark Pit yawn, as he held his Silver Bow with his free hand, and covered his mouth with the other.

"Can we get started already? I have stuff to do later," Dark Pit whined.

"You mean doing pranks with Junior-" but before Pit could finish, Dark Pit covered his mouth and glared at him. Crimson sighed, at their immaturity as always, and was thankful Pit did not say Bowser Jr.'s name fully.

"Yes of course. One more thing I'm going to explain to Mr. Arisato before I send you all off. Normally Smash Bros matches are viewed live by the public when they happen, but for all of Mr. Arisato's matches for the most part, only my bros and I, along with the rest of your friends will know." Crimson explained. "Though of course we have our announcer, but otherwise your matches will all be private exhibitions for Smash Corp. Do you understand?"

Minato nodded, and then the red chairman directed them each to a teleportation device. The four combatants and the one navigator each took a device, and soon they arrived at the Reset Bomb Forest. Fuuka was standing on a revival platform that would stay up the whole fight, as she then summoned Juno, her Persona to help start scanning. Luckily only Yukari and Minato would be able to hear her, so any advice they were given, Pit and Dark Pit would not be able to hear unless she wanted them to hear it. Yukari was on the left most castle ruin platform, Dark Pit stood on the middle wooden platform, Minato started on the right castle ruin platform with Pit above him on the topmost wooden platform.

"Today's match is a special viewing for our special guests! We have Minato Arisato and Yukari Takeba facing off against Pit and Dark Pit! Will the angel archers aim successfully for victory? Or will the Persona users hit the mark before them? Let's find out. Three... two...one, **GO!**" the announcer announced.

**_* Dark Pit's Theme *_**

Dark Pit seeing Yukari in front of him, immediately aimed for her with his Silver Bow, but immediately heard something that caused him to lose his concentration.

"Hey Pittoo!" Minato yelled, causing Dark Pit to mess up his shot upon hearing that nickname, he despised so much. Dark Pit immediately turned around as he heard that.

"What was that?" Dark Pit shouted angrily. Dark Pit ran off towards Minato, while Pit seeing this decided to focus on Yukari.

"Watch out Yukari!" Fuuka yelled as Pit shot an arrow at Yukari. Yukari quickly back flipped to avoid the shot, as it hit the ground she stood on, and she fired back with her own arrows. Pit seeing this, jumped over the shots, and decided to go for a melee approach as he split his Palutena's Bow into two blades. Yukari seeing this immediately threw one of her Feather Bombs that had a parachute on it slowly descending down and had a red target symbol was painted on it, as Pit stared at it.

"Why does it fall so slow?" Pit asked, as he stopped to stare at it, dumbfounded. Yukari smirked, as the Feather Bomb was now close enough to Pit. She immediately fired an arrow at it, causing a explosion for Pit to become comically charred. "That's why... huh," Pit mumbled in pain, as his eyes swirled in a goofy way, as he shook off the black soot on him.

"Quit being stupid and get her!" Dark Pit yelled, as he was clashing blades against Minato who was now wielding a one handed sword. Dark Pit kept hacking at Minato's blade furiously, as the blue haired teenager guarded with his sword. "Pretty good at guarding even without your Smash shield provided to you huh? Guess I'll have to get more hands on,"

Dark Pit immediately dashed towards Minato, as the dark angel immediately grabbed Minato by his shirt. He quickly started to knee the blue teenager, before slamming him into the ground behind him. Fuuka cringed as she always hated to see any of her friends get hurt like this. Minato quickly recovered as he got back up and took out his own bow, as he fired an arrow at Dark Pit, scoring a direct hit.

"Gah! I didn't know you had a bow as well," Dark Pit complained. Dark Pit immediately placed his blades back together as he decided to take aim at Minato with his Silver Bow.

"Get ready Minato!" Fuuka shouted. Minato nodded, as he quickly took a defensive stance as a blue shield covered him. The shot weakened his shield, but didn't completely pierce it. Afterward he quickly ran towards Dark Pit and quickly took out his one handed sword and slashed at Dark Pit as he the dark angel readied another sot, causing the dark angel to stumble back.

"That's it. I'm mad. Get shocked!" Dark Pit shouted, as he took out his Electroshock Arm and quickly equipped it on his left arm. Fuuka seeing this, immediately told Minato to use an appropriate Persona to block the hit with no problems. Minato took out his Evoker which caused Dark Pit to laugh.

"Please. I'll shock you before you even get the chance to use it on me," Dark Pit stated as he dashed at Minato, ready to uppercut him. However what surprised Dark Pit was that he pointed it at his head. "What the heck are you-" but he never finished as the sound of a gunshot roared out.

"Thor!" Minato yelled as he summoned one of his many Personas. Having the wild card ability, allowed him to have multiple Personas. Soon a being clad in golden armor and a helmet appeared in front of Minato as Dark Pit hit it, and Thor absorbed the shocking blow with no damage.

"What the heck was that!?" Dark Pit yelled out surprised, as he took a couple of steps back. "What did you just do?"

Minato just smirked as Thor disappeared as Dark Pit still looked taken aback. He looked toward Yukari who was dodging bladed strikes at her, from Pit's blades. He gave her a specific signal towards her, with her nodding back as they decided it was time for Pit to take more damage.

"Hey Pit! Are you ready to get shot by my arrows?" Yukari taunted as she pulled her Ultimate Arrow bow out, drawn an arrow, and pointed it at him. Pit smirked as he took out his Guardian Orbitars, ready to reflect her shot. He waited... and waited till he noticed that Yukari was just drawing his bow at him.

"Huh? Why aren't you firing your arrow?" Pit asked confused. Suddenly Minato was above him, as he held a bludgeon hammer and smacked Pit on the top of the head, causing the angel to stumble back dizzily, as he stopped using his Guardian Orbitars.

"Ow! It just felt like I was fighting Triple-D at the moment," Pit whined in pain using his nickname for a certain fighter, as he recalled feeling similar sensations whenever a certain royal penguin who wielded a hammer, smacked him with it.

Minato immediately went back to focus on Dark Pit (and wondered who the heck Triple-D was), but the dark angel wasn't having any of it, as he yelled out to his partner to switch opponents.

"Let's switch," Dark Pit yelled out. "Headphones over there summoned something by shooting himself in the head or whatever. You deal with that while I'll send her shocking," Dark Pit suggested. With all of them hearing this, Fuuka immediately felt nervous as she told Minato, to still try to keep Dark Pit focused on him.

"What's the matter Pittoo? Scared by what you saw?" Minato taunted. Dark Pit gritted his teeth, as he felt his pride was on the line and he still despised that nickname, but decided to ignore it as he made his way towards Yukari, as Pit decided to focus on Minato.

"Nice try, but I'm not stupid enough to fall for that," Dark Pit said. With his Electroshock Arm still equipped, Dark Pit was soon closing in on her. Yukari immediately took out her own Evoker causing Dark Pit to stop.

"Oh come on. You have one as well? This is getting rid-" but before he can finish saying his statement, Yukari summoned her own personal Persona Isis, in front of her.

"Garula!" Yukari shouted as her Persona Isis listened. Her Persona summoned a blast of wind that sent Dark Pit away from her, as he slammed onto the upper right wooden platform in the arena. She knew she had to pace herself, since summoning her Persona too much would drain her energy too quickly. She had to give her time to refresh herself.

"That's it. I'm sending someone out of this arena today with my Electroshock Arm before this match is over," Dark Pit shouted annoyed. However before he moved, he saw Viridi off in the distance making her declaration.

"The Reset Bomb is coming!" Fuuka shouted to Minato and Yukari. Everyone turned as they saw the acorn shaped nuke heading towards the background of the arena. Minato and Yukari immediately regrouped, while Pit and Dark Pit did the same. Soon an explosion came, that changed the arena significantly as many of the castle ruin platforms now changed positions. The angels were all the way on the right, while the two members of SEES were all the way on the left. Below them all was a Lurchthorn, that was slowly flying below the platforms. Pit and Dark Pit immediately began firing arrows at Yukari and Minato, causing Fuuka to immediately tell Yukari to use her Persona to deflect those arrow shots.

"Summoning my Persona!" Yukari shouted as she summoned Isis once more with her Evoker. "Magrula!" she shouted as her Persona made multiple blast of winds pop up, to blast away the arrows. While Yukari did this, Minato jumped his way across the platforms with his own Evoker in hand, as Yukari had the arrows shot off course.

"Darn. Even with our guidance, all that wind is knocking all our arrows off track," Pit whined as he kept firing at them.

"Don't stop. She can't possibly keep using that... Persona thing forever out," Dark Pit said, as both kept trying to apply pressure with their arrows. Minato soon jumped on the platform they were on, causing Pit to freak out from fear and Dark Pit to scowl in annoyance as they both stopped firing arrow shots. Minato immediately used his Evoker as he summoned another Persona.

"Orpheus!" Minato stated, as a white humanoid, with a giant harp on it's back, immediately appeared in front of them. "Agi!" Minato ordered as the Persona took out it's harp and quickly strung something as it shot out a fireball towards Pit. Pit immediately pulled out his Guardian Orbitars to deflect the shot back at Orpheus. The Persona took the hit, causing it to disappear which Dark Pit noted. Finally he figured they needed those gun looking objects for them to appear.

"So those... Persona things can be taken out huh?" Dark Pit said to Pit. "I'll get the girl, you take care of headphones here. Go for their... summoning gun equipment. Knock it out from him! No gun looking summoning things, no more summoned stuff for them!"

"Got it!" Pit shouted, as he decided to put on his Upperdash Arm and looked towards Minato with a confident smirk. Fuuka hearing and seeing this immediately told Minato and Yukari, it was time to test Pit's gullibility, though she felt a little bad for the angel considering his kind nature.

"Hey Pit! While fighting Pittoo, I heard him earlier saying you were the worst partner he ever had to deal with!" Yukari yelled out. Pit immediately stopped focusing on Minato, as he was planning to uppercut him, as he stared with his jaw opened wide at Dark Pit and Yukari. Dark Pit had a very confused expression on his face as he looked back at Pit.

"Is that what you really think of me Pittoo? Man after all the crazy things we went through together. We're practically brothers!" Pit shouted deliriously in tears.

"Wait a minute. I didn't say anything-" but Dark Pit was silenced as he was pelted by Yukari with a bunch of arrows, while Minato did the same to Pit. "Gah! You idiot! I can't believe you fell for that!"

"You got hit as well you know!" Pit shouted, annoyed in pain. Dark Pit rolled his eyes as he went back to focus on Yukari. He immediately pulled out his own Guardian Orbitars to make Yukari stop shooting at him. Pit did the same, to make Minato stop firing their arrows. Pit took out his Palutena's Bow and aimed specifically for Minato's Evoker. Yukari seeing this wanted to rush over, but she noticed Dark Pit was now doing the same with his Silver Bow, as he aimed for her Evoker on her.

"I don't think so." Dark Pit stated as he aimed at Yukari. "I admit you guys took advantage of our... behavior against us pretty well. But from this point on, we're going to fight without any more of your mind game tricks against us,"

"Yeah!" Pit shouted enthusiastically. "From this point on, Pittoo and I are going to be on our best game! Nothing's going to get us distracted from beating you two!"

Yukari and Minato both winced. It seems they used up all of their psychological tricks on them and had to fight without them at this point. However they both heard Fuuka gasp, as they both wondered why.

"A Smash Ball has just appeared!" Fuuka relayed to both Minato and Yukari. Pit and Dark Pit seeing this as well, immediately stopped aiming at Minato and Yukari respectively, as they stared at the Smash Ball which hung in the center of the arena.

"**I WANT IT!/IT'S MINE!**" both Pit and Dark Pit yelled out respectively. Despite what both said earlier, apparently the chance to use one's Final Smash was enough for both to lose their composure. Both immediately jumped toward the center platform where it hung as they both crashed into each other and began to argue because of that. Seeing this, Yukari and Minato both nodded towards each other, as they both quickly began to shoot at the Smash Ball with their own arrows.

"Let me have it! I can take them both out with my Three Sacred Treasures!" Pit whined.

"No way. They can possibly still survive and hang on to the arena. With my Dark Pit Staff, I can end this immediately with a direct shot," Dark Pit shouted back.

"But my Final Smash covers a bigger area. Plus it's easier to miss with yours," Pit shouted, as both comically began to butt heads again. However they both just heard something very concerning, as they looked up to see that the Smash Ball... was apparently broken and now gone. They both looked toward Minato as he smirked, and didn't see he was glowing. Both gulped, as they slowly turned around to see Yukari glowing with an aura, along with her having yellow eyes, as she had a very confident smirk on her face.

"This is bad," Pit said with a nervous laugh as he was starting to sweat, and his teeth started chattering due to what was going to happen soon. Dark Pit was now cringing very badly, as sweat began dripping off his face.

"You two should work on your friendship more. You guys would have probably done better," Minato stated calmly.

"Go for it Yukari!" Fuuka cheered happily. Yukari nodded and she pointed and drawn her Ultimate Arrow bow at the sky.

"No matter who I face, I'll prevail!" Yukari yelled as she fired two golden arrows in the sky. They soon crashed into Pit and Dark Pit binding them together. She immediately summoned Isis with her Evoker, as the Persona then appeared over both Pit and Dark Pit as it began to use Magarudyne on both angels.

"**WHOAAA! G-FORCE IN MY FAAACE!**" Pit comically and painfully yelled out as he kept getting hit by the very windy attack, while Dark Pit, gritted his teeth in pain. Yukari then leaped into the air as she prepared a very powerful arrow for both angels, as both were still stuck together while being blasted by extremely powerful wind.

"Final Strike! Phoenix Rangers, Featherman Victory!" Yukari yelled, as she fired what was called her Final Feather Arrow at both. As soon as it hit, both Pit and Dark Pit were sent flying into... the stratosphere of all things, as Pit comically yelled out "**I'M FINISHED!**" with a comical teary eyed expression, while Dark Pit just wondered if Yukari was right earlier (even if it was a lie to distract them), about Pit being the worst partner he ever had, at least for this tournament. As soon as both were a twinkle in the sky, the announcer immediately yelled "**GAME!**" as both Yukari and Minato smiled in delight. Fuuka watching from afar smiled and cheered happily, as they had managed to win their first order from The Master.

* * *

Soon everyone was back in the teleportation room as Pit and Dark Pit were both kneeling on the ground exhausted. Fuuka immediately ran over to Yukari and Minato, to give them both a big warm hug, as they both happily obliged. Fuuka and Yukari then helped out Pit to stand up, who smiled at their kindness, while Minato lent his hand to Dark Pit. Dark Pit sighed, but reluctantly smiled as he took it, stood up and both shook hands. Minato did the same for Pit, and both angels shook Yukari's hand as well, as well as Fuuka's hand.

"Not bad headphones. Good luck on your other tests." Dark Pit said. Soon Pit and Dark Pit left the floor, deciding to head to the nurse's office to get some medical equipment while Crimson clapped for the winners. Minato went up to him, and Crimson took out a black ink stamp with the Smash Bros symbol, and stamped Minato's red ticket, and handed it back to him.

"Well done Mr. Arisato. Good job on completing your first order from The Master," Crimson said with praise. "Wasn't it fun fighting them? Didn't you enjoy socializing with those two? You can make that a daily thing you know if you sign on with Smash Corp,"

Minato was starting to see why the red chairman was calm at the moment. These orders were to also get him to experience all these moments with the other fighters. Maybe they were trying to win him over this way as well. Still he was going to fight for his right, to be able to choose to join or not, as opposed to being forced into this without his permission.

"I don't know. Dealing with those two can be annoying with their constant arguing, they have with each other. Plus being friends with someone who eats ice cream off the floor is pushing it," Minato stated. "That and his dark doppelganger is very moody. I'll consider joining once I complete all eight of the orders. Not till then. See you in the future,"

Crimson just glared at the three as they left the room. He hoped the next order, that his brother Azure was assigned with, would convince Minato to join. Minato, Fuuka and Yukari went back to their floor as they entered their own conference room, with the other members of SEES there.

"You guys did amazing!" Ken praised, as Koromaru barked happily as he licked and got petted by the three that went in.

"Hell yeah they did!" Junpei proclaimed. "Dark Pit sending you two to the stratosphere? You sent him and Pit flying into the stratosphere Yuka-tan!"

"It was nothing. I have to admit though, making him eat his own words like that was fun," Yukari stated with a big grin.

"Congratulations to you three. Takeba and Arisato, great fighting. Yamagishi, your notes and analysis on Pit and Dark Pit the other day, were also instrumental to their victory," Mitsuru said with heavy praise. Minato and Yukari gave each other a firm hand shake, and for Fuuka a gentle hug.

"It was nothing." Fuuka said feeling embarrassed. "I... I just wanted to help out and be of use. Minato and Yukari are the real stars for today,"

"Don't think like that Fuuka. Without you, our fight with them would have been a lot harder." Minato said happily. "Dark Pit would have went after Yukari more, and possibly exploited her electricity weakness,"

"Which he thankfully doesn't know about," Yukari stated. "Plus you managed to exploit the weakness of their Guardian Orbitars. Remember when Minato got the drop on Pit with that hammer?"

"It was an impressive tactic," Aigis stated. "Exploiting their behavior against themselves and each other, made victory achievable. You were the one who came up with those strategies Fuuka-san,"

"So don't feel you don't deserve any of the credit. You do," Shinjiro said with a smile. Minato and Yukari hugged Fuuka again, and she smiled very happily. Suddenly they all heard a knock to the doors, to their conference room. They all stared at each other confused, while Minato shrugged and decided to open it, and see who it was.

"Hiya guys!" Pit shouted happily again. He was covered in bandages, along with Dark Pit behind him also covered in bandages with a weary expression. They all waved to Pit, though they were surprised to see the two here. "We're going to be having dinner soon and we were thinking of eating with Minato, Yukari, and Fuuka. Is that alright if we borrow them off the rest of you?"

The rest of SEES looked at the three, who looked at each other, and they shrugged, as they saw no reason to object. They agreed, and later on that day, when it was night, the three soon were having dinner with Pit and Dark Pit in the cafeteria.

"So Pit... who is Junior?" Yukari asked. "You mentioned him when you said Dark Pit was going to do pranks after the fight with him,"

"Which I'm too beat up to do now," Dark Pit said, feeling sore.

"Also who's Triple-D?" Minato said, wondering if someone was really named that. "You said that when I got you with my hammer attack,"

"Sorry guys. We're not suppose to talk about the other fighters. That was one of the things the chairmen told us, not to talk about with you guys," Pit answered. "But if it's any consolation, we can all hang out now! They said, you guys can come to our floor, where Pittoo and I stay at, as well as... well I can't say who, but one more person. But feel free to visit! We're always free to talk or hang out with, if we're not busy,"

"What he means is, we can basically interact from this point on. No more of not seeing and hearing you," Dark Pit added. "Anyway... how you enjoying the meat and veggie pitas?"

"They're delicious!" Fuuka said happily as she used her fork to take a bite. "It's like Shinjiro sempai's cooking but Greek,"

"Whoa. I want to try his cooking if it's comparable to three Michelin star chefs," Pit praised. "So... any plans for you three tomorrow?"

"Plans for tomorrow?" Yukari asked.

"Yeah it's Valentines Day. Don't tell me you three already forgot?" Pit asked. Minato, Fuuka, and Yukari all felt a shade of red creep into their face. They were so focused on getting ready for the first order from The Master, they had completely forgotten about the holiday. "I guess so huh? So Minato... who's the lucky lady?"

"Don't ask questions like that. It's rude," Dark Pit said, as he smacked Pit on the top of the head. The two began to butt heads again but stopped as they realized they were too tired from their fight earlier. "Ugh forget this. I'm going to get more pita to eat. Anyone want me to get more for them?"

The rest of the table nodded for a yes, as Dark Pit got up and walked over to get more food from the chefs to order.

"Sorry if that was rude. I can be kind of scatterbrained sometimes," Pit said, as he rubbed his head from where Dark Pit smacked him.

"No it's alright. Anyway, I'm going to get a refill for my water, so I'll be right back," Yukari said, as she also left the table. Soon it was just Minato, Fuuka, and Pit.

"Well if you want me to answer that, all I can say it was someone who helped me out during that fight," Minato said, as he smiled at Fuuka. Fuuka smiled back at him, as the two stared at each other, while Pit couldn't help but gush from the cuteness he saw.

"I was going to say, Pittoo and I got invited to a Valentines Day party tomorrow night for all us fighters and we would have been happy to see you guys but... I heard you guys weren't allowed till Minato finishes all the tests," Pit said.

"Really?" Fuuka asked, feeling a little disappointed from what she heard. Pit nodded, as Minato patted her back gently to comfort her. Pit suddenly had an idea, to cheer the two up though.

"I know the perfect thing. You guys should check out the floor with the hot spring for exclusively the fighters and their guests in Smash Tower if you haven't already! That always cheers me up! The hot springs we have here have healing properties as well," Pit exclaimed. "I'll see you guys there at around 6PM before I head off to the party."

Soon Yukari came back and got her caught up with what Pit, Minato, and Fuuka were discussing, as they told her about Pit's suggestion about checking out the hot springs.

"Sure why not? I'm feeling a bit sore as well. We all need a little spa treatment time to time." Yukari answered. "But it has separate schedules right? For guys and girls?"

"Nope. The way that the floor with the hot spings works is, it's split into three separate hot spring areas that are divided. One hot spring is just for guys, one hot spring is just for girls, and the last one is for both guys and girls if they want." Pit explained. Soon Dark Pit came back with all their food and dinner eventually wrapped up, as they all called it a night, getting ready for the next day.

* * *

It was now February 14th as the whole building had Valentine's Day decorations. For the members of SEES, it was kind of depressing since they all heard they weren't allowed to participate in any activities, unless a certain contract was sign. Still for today, they all just relaxed, celebrating the first order to be completed and no one trained. It was now evening as they all headed to the floor with the hot springs, and they all made sure to bring their own swimming clothes to wear.

"Oh man. It's been a long time since we've been in a hot spring," Junpei said happily.

"Do you think they'll allow Koromaru in?" Ken said as the dog really wanted to jump into the water as well.

"Probably not but we'll see. Are we going to take the separate ones, or all go together in the unisex one?" Akihiko asked.

"Unisex. So that way no shenanigans will occur," Mitsuru stated, as she recalled the incident from 2009 where she had to "execute," Akihiko, Junpei, Minato, and someone they knew by the name of Ryoji in a hot spring in Kyoto due to... well, shenanigans. "That is why I asked us all to wear our bathing suits as opposed to just bringing towels,"

"Good thing I wasn't involved in that," Shinjiro mumbled. Ken also nodded, as he never wanted to be in that kind of situation with Mitsuru, and was glad he couldn't come with them. Koromaru barked in agreement as well.

"Please don't bring that up again, Mitsuru sempai. It still chills me to remember that," Junpei whined.

"I may have a video record of the execution in my database," Aigis stated. Junpei, Akihiko, and Minato felt awkward when they heard that.

"Well it was your lame brain idea so, don't act like you didn't deserve it," Yukari mumbled.

"Well at least this time, we can be together without any trouble," Fuuka said. They all arrived at the floor and told the employees that they wanted to use the unisex hot spring. The employees allowed them in, though Koromaru was not allowed be in the water, they said. He was still allowed in the room with them though, according to the employees. After they all got into their bathing suits in their respective locker room, they found themselves meeting up at the door for the unisex spring. When they opened it, they saw a rather strange sight, despite being told Pit was going to be there.

"Is Pit... sleeping on a giant rubber ducky?" Junpei asked, with raised eyebrows. They all saw Pit wearing a pink version of all his clothing, as well as what appeared to be dyed pink wings, as he was napping on his back, on what appeared to be a giant yellow rubber duck floating on the hot spring water.

"He's also wearing all pink as well. Must be for Valentines Day," Akihiko stated.

"Should we wake him up?" Aigis questioned.

"No. Let's let him rest for now," Minato said. "I'm sure he'll wake up eventually... maybe,"

The members of SEES all relaxed and played around in the hot soothing water for a while, as Pit napped. Eventually someone else entered the room.

"Well if it isn't Dark Pit," Shinjiro stated. Dark Pit was wearing a red version, of his all black attire, and his wings were dyed red. "Here to use the hot spring?

"Nope. Here to get that pit hole for our party. Hey pit hole! Wake up!" Dark Pit yelled. Pit was still sleeping peacefully, as everyone turned to look at the two. Dark Pit rolled his eyes, and took out his Silver Bow. He then fired an arrow at the giant yellow rubber duck, and it soon started to deflate. Needless to say, Pit soon crashed into the hot water, as the giant yellow rubber duck was no more.

"Lady Palutena! I have a perfectly good explanation, regarding all the thrown away eggplants from your kitchen!" Pit sputtered in the water as he splashed and thrashed around within it, waking up awkwardly and everyone looked at the angel with an embaressed expression. He soon realized what happened as he saw Dark Pit in the room. "Whoops. While I was waiting for them, I must have taken a snooze cruise,"

"Well we have to go. They're making you and I play cupid at the party soon," Dark Pit whined. "I'm definitely not going through with that alone,"

"Well I've been doing it since the Brawl Tournament, so at least you haven't been doing it as long," Pit replied. He soon made his way to get out of the hot spring water as he shook himself, to try to dry off faster. "Oh yeah... before I go, can I ask you all a favor?"

"What is it?" Fuuka asked with curiosity.

"Just all of you face that direction. The opposite of the doors to the room," Pit said slyly. They all looked at him with a questionable expression. "Please? It'll be real quick I promise,"

"Sure I guess," Minato answered. They all turned to face the other side, as Pit quickly summoned his Palutena's Bow. He then took out what appeared to be a red arrow, with a heart shaped tip as he aimed at Minato.

"Happy Valentines Day!" and with Pit's declaration, Minato soon felt a stinging sensation hit him from behind, as they heard their leader yelp. "Later guys, and to the lucky couple, have fun!"

Pit immediately grabbed Dark Pit who was confused, as they both left the room and headed for the elevator to get to their party. Fuuka pulled the arrow from his back and noticed the heart shaped tip. Suddenly before anyone could say anything, Minato just found himself staring at Fuuka, even more then usual, causing the shy girl to really blush.

"Oh... I think we should all give them some private time. Why don't we split using the male and female only hot spring?" Yukari stated with an awkward expression. "I think Pit might have... played cupid. Considering the relationship the two have already and all, they might need some privacy,"

"But won't someone else possibly come in here?" Junpei said concerned.

"Well Pit said this place was only for the fighters and their guests right? The rest of them are already having their own event, so it shouldn't be a problem," Shinjiro explained.

"For their sake, we'll move then. However for the rest of you... remember, no shenanigans," Mitsuru explained. Akihiko and Junpei immediately nodded, not wanting to be executed again.

"Come on Koromaru. We're going to a new hot spring," Ken said, as they all went their separate ways to let Fuuka and Minato have the unisex spring to themselves. We go back to focus on Pit and Dark Pit in the elevator, where Pit had a mischievous expression on his face.

"So what did you do exactly?" Dark Pit asked. Pit went to his counterpart, as he whispered what that arrow was all about. Dark Pit's face could be seen getting redder and redder, the more he heard. "Man... Palutena sure provides some fun stuff for you huh?"

"Lady Palutena does have her mischievous side sometimes," Pit explained. "Anyway I hope those two are having fun right now,"

"Ugh. I hope we're not doing that to everyone else." Dark Pit said. Pit shook his head for a no.

"No. I requested that from Palutena. I really wanted to make it up to them, since they weren't allowed in the party," Pit said.

"Well good thing from what you told me, it's only till midnight that Minato's hormones are tampered with like that," Dark Pit said. "Anyway, let's get this stupid holiday over with."

"Of course Pittoo, of course," Pit joked as a smack could be heard shortly afterward in the elevator, due to the use of a certain nickname.

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**So that's the end of the first order from The Master/Master Hand and Chapter 4. I hope you guys enjoyed. A couple of notes.**

**1\. Pit and Dark Pit were really fun to write considering their personalities in Kid Icarus: Uprising. A lot of their dialogue references conversations and stuff from that game. Their interactions with each other and the members of SEES was definitely fun to work with.  
**

**2\. When Pit and Dark Pit are helped up, it references the Light vs Dark multiplayer mode in Kid Icarus: Uprising where the winning team, helps Pit/Dark Pit off the floor and shakes hands.**

**3\. So yeah. In Persona 3, you have a hot springs incident where you can get caught. If you get caught, Mitsuru "executes you," and thus the games moves on from that embarrassing incident. For this story... it happened.**

**4\. Yukari's fighting style in this chapter references her abilities and moves in Persona 4 Arena Ultimax and her abilities in Persona 3 in general.**

**5\. Pit hates eggplants with a passion, as noted by his waking up dialogue after crashing into the hot spring water. Why? Eggplant Wizards. That's why (and Uprising introduced the Tempura Wizard as well).**

**6\. Keep in mind, stuff from the 3DS version of Smash Bros will also be featured. Hence the Reset Bomb Forest stage being used for Chapter 4.**

**7\. Pit referencing Dark Pit's popularity, it's to represent how Dark Pit is very hated due to being a clone character in Smash Bros.  
**

**8\. Dark Pit's Theme I recommended, because it was one of the two songs you could listen to on the Reset Bomb Forest stage in Smash 3DS.**

**Anyway I think that about wraps it up. Don't be afraid to state your opinion on Chapter 3, 4, or the story so far in general. Hope you guys enjoyed and till the next chapter, whenever that is! **


	5. Battering Luck

**Hey guys! So we're finally on Chapter 5! Couple of things I want to address real quick. I had received two guest reviews suggesting which member of SEES should help/fight with each particular fighter from Smash Bros. While I strongly appreciate that someone took the time out of their days, to make those helpful suggestions, I already had planned the fighters for each member of SEES to either help or fight along with Minato in some way. Some matched up, some didn't. However things can always change, so we'll see how that goes. Like last chapter, have a pair of headphones ready for another tune, accompanying another fight. Moving along from that... don't be afraid to state any thoughts and enjoy the chapter!  
**

* * *

To say that the night of Valentine's Day for Minato and Fuuka wasn't special was an understatement, all thanks to a certain angel's influence. Needless to say they had an experience, the two haven't had in an extremely long time, since Fuuka gave her specially made headphones to Minato during a certain day in 2009. A dressed up Minato could be seen leaving Fuuka's room with a red shade on his face, the next morning, as he wondered how he would even face Pit, the next time he saw him, or any of his other friends.

"That angel sure has an interesting way of handling things," Minato whispered to himself, as he hurried back to his room. He could only imagine what Pit must have been thinking, when he pulled that stunt on him last night. But a part of him, was glad Pit has done so, since the angel knew they weren't allowed at the Valentine's Day party and he and Fuuka got to be more... intimate with each other. Still, it was time to get back to training. Who knew what his next order be like?

Training and life in Smash Tower continued as usual, as they all made sure to get Minato fit and ready for his second order from The Master, while Fuuka would still try to learn more about Pit and Dark Pit just in case they would ever need to. Pit and Dark Pit quickly became close with the members of SEES (mostly with Minato, Fuuka, and Yukari) as the two would join them whenever they were free, to hang out sometimes. Pit would often get embarrassed due to Dark Pit telling an embarrassing moment Pit has had in the past, or Pit himself would just embarrass himself, but the nicer angel didn't mind. The members of SEES were glad to have made some new acquaintances, even if both Pit and Dark Pit's constant arguing with each other, was grating sometimes.

It was now March 1st on a Sunday of 2015 as the members of SEES made their way up to the elevator. It was time for them to receive their second order. They entered that same hallway once again, and soon found themselves in front of the large wooden doors. The members of SEES all looked at each other and nodded. It was time for Minato to receive the second of The Master's orders. They went in and saw the blue chairman, Azure sitting there calmly, as he glanced at them with his blue sunglasses.

"I see everyone is here. Very well. Let's get right down to business. Here's your second order," Azure stated calmly, as he handed Minato a big blue ticket. "This fight will be only you and your opponent. One on one, unlike your previous order,"

Minato began to overlook the details and see what they would learn, as he began to read them out loud, for everyone else to hear.

"My opponent this time is someone named Ike?" Minato read out loud. Well the name sounded more normal compared to Pit, and especially Dark Pit. "The arena I'll be fighting on is called Castle Siege?"

"What kind of arena is called Castle Siege?" Junpei asked confused. "I mean at least the Reset Bomb Forest becomes... the Reset Bomb Forest, eventually during a fight,"

"Quiet Iori. Let Arisato finish reading," Mitsuru stated.

"It will be a one stock battle, with all container items available at a very low rate. All battering items except Hammers and Golden Hammers will also be available on a very low rate." Minato said as he finished off reading the rest. This match seemed to be a lot less crazy due to, the Smash Ball not appearing, like the last one, nor anything else just as crazy being not present as well.

"I believe that should be sufficient. Your next battle will be on March 13th, on next Friday. You will be picked up by your opponent around 2:50PM, similar to last time to be taken to the teleportation room, where you will be taken to your arena. All information regarding Ike and the Castle Siege arena is now unlocked on your tablets. Also before anyone asks, Ike is unavailable for any meetings, due to his personal schedule, so you won't meet him till he picks you up for the match, unlike Pit and Dark Pit last month. Unless any of you have any further questions, I believe this is where we bid adieu," Azure, the calm blue chairman said.

Soon they all left the chairman's office as they took the elevator back down to their floor and began to discuss amongst themselves the details about the second of The Master's orders.

"No interview with this Ike guy? I was hoping we get one, like we did with Pit and Dark Pit," Junpei stated.

"Well we'll have to make due. We have a bunch of items to go over anyway," Yukari replied.

"A lot of items are categorized by what they are and what they can do, after all." Ken said. "All container and battering items huh?"

"Sounds like a strange combination to me, but if that's what's wanted," Shinjiro said.

"Searching my database... Capsules, Crates, Rolling Crates, Party Balls, and Barrels make up container items," Aigis stated. "Beam Swords, Star Rods, Fire Bars, Ore Clubs, and finally Home Run Bats make up the other battering items besides the Hammers and Golden Hammers."

"Oh! I've actually practicing with a lot of those battering items during my free time!" Junpei exclaimed. "I can get Minato up to speed with them!"

"So you want to be, Minato's main trainer for his next order?" Akihiko asked. Junpei nodded with a huge grin, while Yukari was wondering if that was the wisest thing to do.

"Very well Iori, you can handle that. But we still need to do research on Ike and Castle Siege," Mitsuru said.

"Leave it to me, Mitsuru sempai. I can do it," Fuuka said. "Just like last time, when I did the research for Pit, Dark Pit, and the Reset Bomb Forest, I can definitely do the same for Ike and the Castle Siege arena. In fact I want to do this for every order,"

"Are you sure Yamagishi?" Mitsuru asked concerned. Fuuka nodded, leading Mitsuru to sigh but to also smile. "Alright. Your analysis was excellent last time, and I'm sure you can do an excellent job this time, and for the future ones as well,"

"But like I said for the last order, don't hesitate to ask for help Fuuka, if you need it," Minato said to reassure her. Fuuka nodded, understanding the situation.

"Well Junpei, you better show Minato the ropes," Yukari stated. "If he loses, he's going to have to sign that contract, or The Master's going to turn the rest of us, into trophies... which you know, is not alright,"

"Not to worry Yuka-tan! I understand what's on the line. I Junpei Iori, will make sure our leader secures this victory, if my name isn't... Coach Iori!" Junpei bragged enthusiastically. Koromaru began to bark happily while, Yukari hoped that Junpei knew what he was doing.

* * *

The next day they were all back in their own conference room on their floor. Minato needless to say got to experience a lot of interesting items at the gym with Junpei, yesterday. One resembling a famous saber from science fiction fame, a rod that fired out stars that hurt you, what was essentially a really long torch that eventually went out if you hit someone or something enough, a club made of ore that summoned whirlwinds if you swung it really hard, and what was probably Junpei's favorite, a black metallic baseball bat that always guaranteed a home run hit, on anything or anyone it hit. Fuuka was now done setting up the computer as she turned off the lights, and soon showed a holographic image of Ike.

Ike was a large, fairly burly man. He had dark blue hair and a green bandana wrapped around it, he wore a brownish padded coat over a blue shirt, that had brown with a gold buckle to secure it. He wore white pants, along with blue armor over his legs, barring the brown shoes below them. His left shoulder also had blue armor over it, though his right didn't for some reason. He wore brown arm braces, that were fingerless at the end, and a red cape tied to the neckline of his brown padded vest, that was tattered at the ends. His right hand was placed on the black hilt, of a golden sword that was facing the ground.

"Whoa. This guys looks buff! Buffer then even Akihiko sempai on his protein craze during the P-1 Climax!" Junpei joked, as Akihiko just rolled his eyes. Mitsuru couldn't help but laugh quietly, as she recalled how Akihiko became obsessed with protein shakes, when he got older, even it didn't really show at the moment, due to them being in their high school bodies.

"So Fuuka-san, what can you tell us about Ike?" Aigis asked.

"I guess we should start with his back story," Ken suggested, as they did the same for both Pit and Dark Pit last time.

"Ike comes from a world, where it's like Medieval Europe still. He's the leader of his own mercenary group, called the Greil Mercenaries. Ike and his mercenaries has managed to stop a tyrant from taking over the whole continent of Tellius where he comes from," Fuuka explained.

"Very impressive," Mitsuru said. "What else has he done Yamagishi?"

"Ike, along with teaming up with many others, have also managed to defeat a goddess who planned to pass judgment on all life, being unworthy of living, sometime after. Ike and his mercenaries are definitely well renown in his world," Fuuka explained.

"He's defeated a goddess?" Yukari said impressed and amazed. "Wow. That's pretty amazing! How can we even compare to that?"

"Well I heard you guys managed to defeat Nyx after I kicked the bucket, so don't act like we're not comparable," Shinjiro said. "Heck you guys were a bunch of teenagers when you beat Nyx, while Ike has his own mercenary group so if anything, what you guys did was arguably more impressive. Not trying to belittle him or his accomplishments, but just pointing it out there,"

"I wish I had my own mercenary group. I would dub it... the Iori Mercs!" Junpei joked. "Anyway... that sword looks huge! Can you tell us more about what it is, and how he fights with it Fuuka?"

Fuuka nodded as she closed the holographic screen of Ike, and began to play a video of Ike training in that same all white room against Sandbag, that Pit and Dark Pit were also seen training in.

"Ike's blade is known as the holy blade of Ragnell. It was said to be blessed to be unbreakable and is a two handed sword. However Ike is strong enough to wield it only with only one hand, but he can use it with both if he wants to do so," Fuuka explained, as the video showed Ike beating up Sandbag with his sword. He was shown swinging Ragnell with one handed strikes and two handed strikes. Sandbag took quite the beating, as Ike's raw strength showed.

"Holy crap! I thought I was good with those kinds of blades, but Ike is a monster!" Junpei exclaimed, feeling nervous.

"What's the matter? I thought you were Coach Iori?" Yukari said with both mockery and concern for Junpei.

"I am but did you see how strong he is?" Junpei whined. "He's way beyond my level of using a two handed sword!"

"I can say the same for Pit and Dark Pit when it came to me using a bow, but Minato and I still pulled through." Yukari said, trying to encourage her friend. "You can do it Junpei! I know you can coach Minato to beat Ike!"

"Maybe? Possibly?" Junpei said as he began to think it over.

"Yes you can or you really are Stupei!" Yukari shouted, using her insulting nickname for Junpei.

"Hey! I resent that. Actually...now that I about about it... I think calling Pit, "Stupit," during that fight would have been a good distraction as well," Junpei replied back.

"Not to interrupt married couple argument number whatever, but we should really find out the rest of Ike's moves and abilities," Shinjiro stated, as both Yukari and Junpei looked embarrassed from hearing that. The video then showed Ike holding his sword above the ground, as a blue fire started to form from Ragnell. He soon plunged it into the ground, and a burst of blue fire appeared around him.

"That move Ike just used is called Eruption. If he uses it, his sword Ragnell channels blue fire and he slams it into the ground. He can also charge it to be more powerful. If he does it for too long though, he can damage himself so he'll rarely fully charge it," Fuuka explained.

"That's great. He can use fire even without the use of a Persona like me," Junpei whined. "Does that have any other vulnerabilities aside from overheating himself possibly?"

"Ike has to remain in place when he uses Eruption, so if he's doing it, Minato can hit him from afar. From what I researched, Ike is considered the slowest of all the swordsmen who are participating in this tournament and Minato is a very fast guy, so dodging Ike's Eruption shouldn't be too bad," Fuuka explained

The video then showed Ike making a stance by crossing his arms and lowering his legs as he held his sword with one of his hands. He then lunged forward and slashed at Sandbag.

"That's Ike's Quick Draw maneuver. He'll go into that stance, when he's ready to use it, and lunge at his opponents. Ike can only lunge so far though, so keep that in mind," Fuuka said. Ike then threw his sword Ragnell up, and he then leaped to grab it, and swung with it, on the the way down, hitting Sandbag. "That maneuver is Ike's Aether maneuver. He uses it as another way to attack from above,"

"I can see why he's in this competition," Ken said. "He's definitely a very athletic individual,"

"I definitely agree with that Amada," Mitsuru stated. "Such strength indeed. Anything else Yamagishi?"

"Similarly to the blonde haired boy we saw fighting that monstrous turtle, a while back, Ike can also Counter against his foes, with Ragnell." Fuuka explained as Ike did a special defensive stance. "So if you see him doing that instead of guarding, go for a throw since he can't reverse those Minato,"

Minato nodded. Unlike Pit and Dark Pit who could reflect projectiles with their Guardian Orbitars, Ike was more hands on with his defensive approaches. He would definitely need to take advantage of his speed, to beat Ike in this fight.

"Can we review Ike's Final Smash? Even if the Smash Ball isn't in play, it wouldn't hurt," Shinjiro suggested.

"Sure. His Final Smash, is called Great Aether. He'll do a really powerful version of his Aether maneuver, but Ragnell will be covered in blue flames and he'll slash at you repeatedly in the air, before slamming you into the ground," Fuuka explained as Ike broke a Smash Ball in the video. He approached Sandbag as he glowed an intense aura, and soon he performed his Great Aether technique on Sandbag. Ike then plunged his sword into the ground, and crossed his arms, as the video ended.

"Geez, talk about showing off," Junpei stated. "Then again, out of the Final Smashes I've seen so far, Pit's is probably the most spectacular,"

"Hey! What about my Final Smash?" Yukari whined. "The one I used to finish off Pit and Dark Pit at the Reset Bomb Forest?"

"But you were already doing that instant kill move, during the P-1 Climax incident Yuka-tan. It wasn't anything new, aside from being your high school self now doing it," Junpei replied back.

"Well... that's true I admit. It was still awesome to pull off in a Smash Bros fight," Yukari said calmly back. "Anyway, we should learn more about the Castle Siege arena. I'm curious to see what's the deal with that,"

Fuuka opened a video of what showcased the Castle Siege arena. It appeared to be red roof atop a castle, with a large green forest to the left of it, and a large watery moat to the right of it. Red flags adoring a symbol of a black dragon, could be seen all over the huge establishment. The background showed ballistas attacking the castle, manned by soldiers. Eventually the roof broke open and it transitioned into showing a thrown room. Most particular was two statures of humans holding a platform. One stature held a platform above it, while the other held it's platform, in front of it. Finally the floor for that room broke open, and it soon transitioned into a very particular room that appeared to be a lava cavern. A large stone platform was seen balancing on a large stone spire, and it was shown to slowly tilt to the left and right as the video ended.

"So that is why, this arena is called Castle Siege. Because you are fighting in a castle, under siege," Aigis stated bluntly.

"Well yeah. That appears to be the case." Akihiko said. "So you start off fighting on a roof of a castle before it breaks due to the siege... then the throne room with the two statues in it, which eventually also breaks due to the siege... and finally a room with lava below, fighting on a platform that is somehow being balanced, and not falling off that rock spire,"

"That sounds pretty hectic to be quite honest," Ken said. Koromaru barked, to showed that he agreed.

"Just your average arena for the Smash Bros fighter I guess," Shinjiro stated. "I mean this is about as crazy as the Reset Bomb Forest in all honesty,"

"I think that sufficiently covered everything about Ike and the Castle Siege arena," Mitsuru stated. "Iori, make sure to get Minato up to speed,"

"You got it Mitsuru sempai! Come on Minato. Let's head to the gym and start giving Sandbag more battering to his life with my coaching!" Junpei exclaimed, as he grabbed his blue haired friend and dragged him off, while everyone else sighed, but smiled.

Minato and Junpei were soon in the gym as both were practicing the various battering items on Sandbag. Right now at the moment, both were holding a Home Run Bat as the sound of a bat clashing really hard against Sandbag could be heard, as the bag went flying comically all around the gym.

"Oh man. If you got this item, the match is practically over for Ike," Junpei exclaimed as he practiced a swing with it.

"Hey guys!" shouted a very familiar voice. Both Minato and Junpei turned to see that Pit and Dark Pit were in the room. Pit waved happily, while Dark Pit had a tired expression on his face.

"Oh. Hey," Junpei said, not expecting to see the two. "Here to use the gym?"

"Nope. We visited the others on your floor, and we heard Minato was training for his next match," Pit said. "We thought we come by to watch,"

"Is that so? How considerate of you guys," Minato said as he took a swing with his own Home Run Bat. Both Pit and Dark Pit watched for a while as Junpei trained Minato. Eventually after a while, Minato finished his training as Junpei looked beat.

"You know... I know you guys are really working around battering items, but you guys should keep in mind about container items as well," Pit suggested.

"Why's that? Don't you just break them open, and they have a chance of having other items within them?" Junpei asked confused.

"Sounds like you two don't know," Dark Pit said condescendingly. "All container items have a chance of exploding when broken open,"

"Exploding!?" Junpei shouted. Dark Pit nodded, as Junpei looked ready to faint, from learning that new bit of information.

"Well it's not that big a deal. As long as you open them away from you, they can't explode on you, if they do contain an explosion in them anyway," Pit said. "That and a lot of fighters here tend to throw or use their container items against their opponents anyway to deal damage, then outright break them because of that,"

"Still... that Master has a cruel sense of humor," Junpei whined while Minato just shrugged. "Talk about slapstick comedy to the extreme,"

"Don't worry. I bet Minato's a lucky guy," Pit said with a smile. "When's your next match anyway?"

"Next Friday on March 13th is my next match," Minato replied calmly. Pit took the details in, then he suddenly had a grim expression on his face.

"Wait a minute... **FRIDAY THE 13TH!?**" Pit yelled out. "That day is pure bad luck!"

"Oh knock it off. I don't believe in that garbage," Dark Pit said. "Tell me you guys don't believe in that superstitious junk, right?"

Minato shook his head for a no, though Junpei's facial expression said something otherwise. They all saw that he was biting his lips, as it looked like he wanted to say something but couldn't. Finally Junpei sighed, and decided to say his response.

"Well... when he puts it that way to remind me about it... maybe?" Junpei stated nervously. Minato and Dark Pit rolled their eyes, while Pit began shaking Junpei's hand in agreement.

"See! I told you I wasn't the only one who believed in bad luck!" Pit explained.

"Oh be quiet. What bad luck things happened in February? We just had Friday the 13th last month as well, remember?" Dark Pit challenged.

"Well we did have our match with Minato and Yukari on that day... and lost pretty badly," Pit answered. Dark Pit cringed in response, from being reminded of that.

"That... doesn't count! We lost because of you being an idiot, and not because of bad luck!" Dark Pit yelled back. This caused Pit and Dark Pit to argue with each other, while Minato and Junpei rolled their eyes, and they faced each other instead.

"Do you really believe in bad luck Junpei?" Minato asked quietly to his friend.

"Well... considering how my life has played up till this moment... maybe?" Junpei answered back nervously. "I mean it's always a possibility you know?"

"Relax Junpei. Even if bad luck was a thing, it doesn't mean it'll fall onto me, you, or anyone else from SEES. For all you know, maybe Ike will get all the bad luck?" Minato said, to try to comfort his friend.

"Yeah you're right. I'm making way too big a deal over this," Junpei said back, trying to sound more confident. Still a part of him couldn't help but still feel paranoid.

* * *

It was now March 13th on a Friday, as Minato and Junpei waited in a hallway. They had done lots of training and formed some strategies along with Fuuka for this upcoming fight. While the rest of SEES, were going to watch from their conference room, Junpei wanted to view the fight live, from a revival platform, so he was coming along as well. Of course one thing that Fuuka couldn't help but notice was what Junpei was wearing on himself, while Minato tried to ignore what Junpei was now wearing along with his regular clothes.

"Junpei... I don't mean to come across as intrusive but...why are you wearing golden horseshoe styled glasses... a necklace with a number seven chain... and bracelets with the four leaf clover symbol on it?" Fuuka asked confused, as Junpei had a lot of accessories on.

"Oh... umm... no reason Fuuka. Just felt like wearing some new stuff. The clothing stores were selling them earlier this month, to prepare for that holiday where you wear all green and stuff. I figure they make nice souvenirs," Junpei explained nervously. Minato rolled his eyes, while Fuuka just nodded back, accepting what she heard, to just roll with it. Soon Ike came down in the elevator to pick them up. Ike eyed Junpei with raised eyebrows for a few moments, before he turned to face Minato and Fuuka with a smile.

"You must be Minato. I'm Ike. I wish you the best in today's match," Ike said calmly, as he shook hands with Minato.

"Same. Thank you," Minato said back calmly. Minato was already noting how Ike was a lot more mature compared to Pit and Dark Pit, and seemed to be a lot more calm in general.

"We wish you the best of luck as well," Fuuka said with a smile. Ike smiled at the kind girl's response as he gently shook her hand. Ike then offered his hand to Junpei, and the boy with the baseball cap shook it as well. The four found themselves in the elevator that went towards the teleportation room. While they went down, Ike couldn't help but stare at what Junpei was wearing, while Junpei just whistled trying not to feel awkward. Soon they arrived at the teleportation room with Azure already present inside, working the tablet, as he had all the conditions preset. The normally calm blue chairman, couldn't help but raise eyebrows at Junpei's additional attire but decided to try not to comment about it.

"So Mr. Arisato. Are you ready to face off against Ike?" Azure asked. Minato nodded, and he looked towards Fuuka and Junpei who nodded back at him.

"Umm... can I watch from afar like Fuuka? I mean I won't interfere other then cheer and stuff," Junpei asked sheepishly. Azure was trying his best to not look at the all the accessories that Junpei wore, and nodded.

"Yes. You can watch and comment from afar but no interference. I feel Ms. Yamagishi already understands this as well, so I won't go into too much detail about it," Azure replied. "I believe it's time we begin."

Minato, Fuuka, Junpei, and Ike each took a teleporter as they were soon taken to the Castle Siege arena. Fuuka once again had summoned her Persona Juno, as she was ready to support. Junpei was on another revival platform amazed at what he saw seeing all around him. Ike stood on the left side of the red roof of the castle, with a forest behind him filled with what appeared to be soldiers attacking with ballistas against the castle. Minato stood on the other side with a watery moat, separating the rest of the castle that stood behind.

"It's a nice day in Spring, for both our fighters and our special guests! Is Ike going to send our special guest flying with his holy blade Ragnell? Or will Minato Arisato, batter up Ike instead? Let's find out! Three... two... one, **GO!**" the announcer announced.

**_* Attack (Fire Emblem) *_**

Ike immediately made a dash for Minato, seeing how Ike specialized in close range combat. Minato immediately pulled out a two handed sword to defend himself from Ike's Ragnell. He knew that considering Ike's strength to wield Ragnell, a one handed blade may have been more prone to be broken. Thankfully Junpei caught him up sufficiently on using two handed blades. Minato defended using his sword, causing Ike to leap back a bit.

"Not bad. I didn't expect you to be using a sword as well. Let's see if you can keep up," Ike challenged, as he drawn himself into a Quick Draw position.

"Get ready!" Fuuka said, as Minato pulled out a defensive stance to summon his Smash shield, as Ike lunged at him. The maneuver cost some of his shield to be damaged, but he immediately followed up by hitting Ike with his own blade, knocking the swordsman back a bit. Ike smirked, noting Minato's impressive speed. Ike then threw his blade, above Minato, as he planned to do an Aether onto him.

"Guard again!" Fuuka said concerned, as Minato immediately pulled up his Smash shield once more. Minato immediately repeated the action, but definitely noted that his Smash shield didn't fully regenerate fully, as even more of it was gone this time. He immediately retaliated against Ike once more, knocking him back a bit. Ike decided to keep distance away as he thought over what to do. Suddenly a Barrel dropped in front of him. Ike seeing this decided to grab it and place it on it's side. He then kicked it towards Minato.

"Man Ike is sure strong to kick that towards you. Guy has got the strength of a gorilla," Junpei shouted, causing Ike to glare at him. Junpei comically began to wave his hands, to show he didn't mean it as an insult, but Ike kept glaring. Minato in the meantime took out his bludgeon hammer, and wondered if this was going to work. As the Barrel came towards him, he slammed it back towards Ike, causing it to roll the other way. Because of Junpei's comment, Ike was so distracted, he got hit by the Barrel causing it to break open and have a Beam Sword item from within it, now pop up.

"That doesn't count as interference right?" Junpei shouted, wondering if what he did counted as such. Minato rolled his eyes, while Fuuka just smiled at Junpei's actions, happy he managed to help Minato out, even if it was accidental like that.

"Smart move to use that item against me. Too bad it had another item within it, for me to use against you," Ike stated calmly, as he picked up the Beam Sword with his free left hand. Now he had two blades to utilize.

"We have to knock that item from Ike away," Fuuka stated, which Minato nodded too. He immediately took out his Evoker, which caused Ike to raise his eyebrows.

"What are you-" but before Ike could respond, Minato has used his Evoker, as he summoned a Persona.

"Angel!" Minato yelled as an angelic being appeared in front of him. "Garu at his left hand!"

The angelic being blasted at Ike with a blast of wind, as Ike desperately tried hold onto the Beam Sword item he just got. While this occurred, Minato took out his bow, and quickly took aim as he aimed at Ike's left hand as well. Ike seeing this, decided to throw the Beam Sword, as it collided with the incoming arrow, as the collision made both fell off the roof of the castle. Minato's Persona disappeared as both Ike and Minato looked at each other.

"Interesting tactic. I've never seen such a thing in my world. But I'm not going to be intimidated as well," Ike mused. Minato just smirked at what he heard and at Ike's quick thinking for handling his arrow earlier. This guy was pretty fast on his feet, both physically and mentally. The roof began to shake as both fights began to notice as the ballistas attacking from afar, and it soon collapsed as both landed into the throne room. Fuuka and Junpei's revival platforms moved accordingly so they can get a better view of the action.

Ike immediately ran at Minato, hoping to hit him with his sword. Minato seeing this leaped onto the statue holding it's platform in front of it. Ike seeing this began charging for an Eruption, as he raised his sword near it, as blue flames started to surround it. Fuuka immediately told Minato to get away, as Minato quickly leaped onto the other statue, but Ike kept charging up his Eruption. He soon unleashed his Eruption to break it. Ike soon moved over to the other statue, as he began to charge another Eruption. Minato jumped off as Ike then destroyed the other statue, landing back on the floor for the throne room.

"Limiting my options huh?" Minato said, as Ike smirked back at him. Ike then ran at Minato with his sword drawn, causing Minato to get into a defensive position with his own two handed blade. Ike however had something else in mind. Ike grabbed Minato and gave the teen a solid headbutt, to his head before he kicked Minato back.

"Are you alright Minato?" Fuuka asked very concerned. Minato nodded as he picked himself up. He was definitely going to have to get used to throws, as he recalled Dark Pit managing to do something similar against him, during the fight in the Reset Bomb Forest. Suddenly a Capsule item spawned in front of him.

"Don't break it open!" Junpei yelled out paranoid. "It can possibly explode and crap!"

Minato picked up the Capsule, and decided to throw it towards Ike. Ike pulled his own Smash shield up, as the capsule broke open, and a Fire Bar item popped up. Ike took hold of the weapon as Fuuka told Minato, it was time to put out all those flames, as they couldn't have Ike have the advantage as the mercenary leader began to run towards him. Minato immediately took out his Evoker as he decided to summon another Persona to fulfill that purpose.

"Jack Frost! Bufu that Fire Bar!" Minato shouted, as a jovial ice spirit in front of him was summoned. A blast of ice was shot towards at Ike. If the ice hit, it would cause fire to turn into steam. Ike immediately used his Smash shield, to defend against the icy blast. While it was a nice attempt, the Fire Bar still had all five of it's fireballs in tact. Fuuka instead asked Minato to use a Persona to take the hits with no problems, as Jack Frost disappeared.

"Pyro Jack!" Minato immediately yelled, as a pumpkin headed being holding a lit lantern showed up. Ike tried to attack it, using the Fire Bar item, but nothing occurred, and soon all of Ike's fireball on the Fire Bar item was gone. The Persona soon disappeared as Ike grunted in frustration.

"Yeah! Show him you can't get burned so easily!" Junpei exclaimed, as he cheered for his friend. Ike ran towards Minato as he decided to go for another grab, but Minato decided to play keep away, as he dodge rolled away, as Ike lunged for a grab at him. Ike, immediately followed up with a Quick Draw though, sending Minato back a bit, from the lunge of Ike's sword.

"A fight's not over till it's over. Remember that," Ike said to Minato. Minato picked himself up, as he nodded back. Both decided to come at each other, with their two handed swords, as they clashed against each other.

"Wow. I should start training with Ike," Junpei muttered. "He definitely has one hell of a sword arm,"

Ike and Minato continued to clash blades a ton, as the impacted sounds could be heard. However the floor soon began to shake again. Both Ike and Minato noted how the siege upon the castle was still occurring, and soon the floor broke under them. Both landed on opposite sides of the platform that laid on top of the rock spire, as it began to move, like if it were a clumsy balancing act, causing Minato to really wonder if this thing was going to stay on, the whole time.

"Don't worry. This platform can't fall off," Fuuka explained. "It'll lean towards one side and to the other, but it was influenced not to fall off or break off."

"Thanks for the reassurance Fuuka," Minato said with praise and sounding more relieved, causing the girl to smile happily from her position. The heat in the room was surprisingly bearable, despite the fact that surrounding the platform they were on was lava below. Even if falling off the arena, was non lethal, he still didn't want to test that theory, nor feeling that hot sensation of getting sent flying by lava. Suddenly a Home Run Bat spawned near Ike, which he happily picked up.

"Oh man, this is so not cool!" Junpei yelled out. "I should have bought a rabbit's foot as well!"

"A rabbit's foot?" Fuuka asked concerned. "Are you wearing all of those accessories for good luck?"

"Errr... well it is Friday the 13th today Fuuka," Junpei said back embarrassed."Never hurts to be prepared right?"

Fuuka wasn't sure how to respond so she decided to just nod in response, while Minato pretended he didn't hear Junpei at the moment. However an item just spawned near Minato as well. It was what appeared to be an Ore Club which Minato immediately picked up. Now both Ike and Minato stared each other down.

"I got an item that can send someone flying out instantly, you got one that can summon whirlwinds against their opponents. Interesting. Let's see how this plays out," Ike mused. Suddenly one more item entered the fray, causing the situation to become even more chaotic. A Rolling Crate had fallen into the middle of the spire, as it soon began move along with the tilting rock. Junpei immediately began chattering his teeth, while Ike had an idea on his mind.

"Think fast!" Ike yelled as the Rolling Crate got near him, and he kicked it towards Minato. Minato immediately swung the Ore Club he held, to create a whirlwind to send the Rolling Crate back at Ike. Ike seeing this quickly swung the Home Run Bat, to either knock it back or destroy it, so it wouldn't hit him but it seemed that luck finally did play a role, as... the crate exploded and sent Ike flying out of the castle, and eventually into the sky. Minato and Fuuka stared blankly at where Ike just was before he was sent flying by the explosion, while Junpei had his mouth dropped open, due to a combination of surprise and happiness. Soon the announcer yelled out "**GAME!**" and the match was over just like that.

"I knew wearing all this lucky stuff was a good idea!" Junpei happily exclaimed, as the three teleported back to the teleportation room, while Minato just sighed, and Fuuka just smiled at the turn of events.

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**So what did you guys all think as we wrap up Chapter 5? Don't be afraid to state any opinions you guys might have. Anyway a couple of really important notes, I want to address.  
**

**1\. Not every chapter in the future will be necessarily dedicated for completing an order. Sometimes chapters where it'll focus on just the characters will pop up possibly as well. Is something like that, the next chapter? Possibly.**

**2\. I liked writing Pit and Dark Pit a lot from Chapter 4, so I think they'll become recurring characters for the members of SEES to interact with in the future in general. It helps that their mentality is that of teenagers, (even in terms of human years they're way older, well maybe not Dark Pit considering he came from a mirror) and they have big personalities to work off of, considering most Nintendo characters are not as prevalent with that kind of thing. They basically mesh well with the members of SEES in my opinion. That said, I'm sure Ike will show up in the future as well.**

**3\. It was Junpei's time to shine sort of. In Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, Junpei becomes a volunteer baseball coach for kids. Having him coach Minato with all the battering items, and using a two handed sword felt very appropriate. That and I don't want every order to be a team battle necessarily.**

**4\. Castle Siege is a stage that shows up in both Brawl and the Wii U version of Smash Bros. "Attack," is a song that shows up in both games.**

**5\. Friday the 13th was a fun angle to work off of, considering it happens in both February 2015 and March 2015. Figure I roll with the luck theme to make this chapter more interesting.**

**6\. Junpei calling out Ike's strength as a gorilla, when Ike kicks the Barrel at Minato, is suppose to reference a certain famous ape who's also a fighter in Smash Bros.**


	6. How They First Met

**Hey guys! We are now on Chapter 6 and I want to address a couple of thing real quick. For those wondering if characters in Smash who were cut will appear from recent reviews I read... I can't say for sure. In Chapter 2 it's mentioned, that it's essentially the cast of Smash Bros 3DS/Wii U and thus characters not in Smash 3DS/Wii U are not in. However... I can always mention them through other ways like flashbacks, references, etc. Maybe I can find some way to actually have them show up as well. That remains to be seen though. Don't be afriad to say any thoughts you have on this chapter, or of any part of the story in general. Anyway... here's the next chapter, and I hope you guys enjoy!**

* * *

They were all back in the teleportation room, though Ike in particular looked like he was in desperate need of some water, as steam was rising from him, as he had just took an explosion to his being. He however was seen with a small smile, as he walked up to Minato to shake his hand, which the teen obliged. He gave Fuuka a gentle handshake like before, and to Junpei he gave another handshake, while Junpei looked nervous.

"Sorry if I was distracting," Junpei stated sheepishly.

"No it's fine. You supported your fellow comrade, doing what you felt was right, even if it meant wearing those... accessories," Ike stated calmly. "No need to feel any shame,"

"Really? Thanks... but I was talking about more along the lines of that comment when you kicked that barrel at my pal," Junpei said.

"Oh... well I admit it did catch my attention. Nonetheless it's not something to worry about." Ike replied.

"Still... must have sucked to have that box be explosive," Junpei said. "You could have batted up something nicer then that. Guess luck wasn't on your side today, considering it's bad luck and all,"

"Stop making a big deal out of it. Tell you what... why don't I let you try the Home Run Contest?" Ike suggested. "It's a fun way to unwind sometimes,"

"Home Run Contest!?" Junpei asked, sounding ecstatic. "Do we get to use those Home Run Bats?"

"Yes. Why don't I take you to where we hold them, right now?" Ike suggested. Junpei looked toward Minato and Fuuka and they nodded, with a smile. Junpei nodded back happily, as he went to Ike as he began to nod towards the swordsman. Both left the room and took the elevator, as the blue chairman Azure remained with both Minato and Fuuka. The two calmly walked up to the blue chairman, as he took out a black ink stamp, with the Smash Bros symbol and stamped Minato's blue ticket.

"Congrats Mr. Arisato on your second victory," Azure said calmly. "You have now completed two of The Master's orders. Any changed feelings over the course of your stay here?"

"Other then dealing with two angels who bicker like two of my friends, not really. This still isn't the fate I choose," Minato stated calmly. He then promptly left with Fuuka to head back to their floor, as Azure was left alone in the room. The blue chairman had a smirk on his face though.

"You may not choose this fate... just yet," Azure stated calmly to himself, as a smirk on his face was present. "Always more then one way to win someone over. Let's see how this progresses,"

Minato and Fuuka were in the elevator taking it back to their floor. As they waited, they couldn't help but converse about today's events.

"I hope Junpei has fun with Ike. I'm glad he can unwind, since he's been so afraid of bad luck today," Fuuka said concerned.

"I'm sure he's alright." Minato stated with a smile. He was happy that Junpei did a great job preparing for him against Ike.

"He also did a really good job training and coaching you as well," Fuuka said. "So... what do you plan to do after we meet up with the others about your second order completed?"

"Good question. I do feel pretty tired after that fight. I guess I'll take a shower after we meet up with the rest of SEES and then head to the hot springs to unwind." Minato answered. "Would you like to join me at the hot springs later Fuuka?"

Fuuka's face immediately blushed, as she was reminded of what occurred on Valentine's Day last month, due to Pit's involvement. Minato just chuckled, as he just smirked at her facial expression.

"Sure," Fuuka replied, still feeling her face blushing. "I would love to,"

Meanwhile we see Pit was in what was Dark Pit's room, as both sat across a black marble table, as both sat on two different black chairs. Nearby a black bed was made, the flooring was black marble, and various furniture was around, all colored black usually. Both were playing videos games on their video game systems they were holding in their hands. Both were seen playing on a system called the 3DS, as Pit had a white one, and Dark Pit had a black one. They were both currently playing a game of Tetris DS against each other.

"Come on! I need an L-shaped block," Pit whined as he kept getting blocks he didn't want.

"Ha! Keep getting pushed to losing," Dark Pit said with snark, as he was currently clearing more rows of blocks, causing Pit to get closer and closer to losing, till it finally happened.

"Oh yeah. My fifth victory in a row!" Dark Pit bragged happily.

"Oh man!" Pit whined as he sighed while Dark Pit smirked. "Rematch Pittoo?"

Before Dark Pit could respond, a knock could be heard on the door that led to Dark Pit's room. Dark Pit and Pit both paused their game systems, as they went to see who it was. Dark Pit opened it up and soon a familiar face to both was seen outside for both, as they looked down to see the mischievous young child they knew.

"Hey Dark Pit! We have a tennis match at this time remember?" whined a bratty childish voice. It belonged to a short evil kid, who helped his father on his evil schemes sometimes. He had black beady eyes, red hair tied into a ponytail with a small black metal hairband cuff, a green spiky shell, yellow reptilian skin, black metal cuffs worn around his wrists, a white bandana worn around his neck with what appeared to be a mouth drawn with crayons, and he had one sharp tooth sticking out of his mouth. He was Bowser Jr., and he was the heir to the throne for his kingdom. He had recently joined during this tournament, while his dad joined much earlier, during the Melee Tournament.

"Oh hey Junior. Sorry about that. I got caught up in beating Pit at Tetris DS, who's quite bad at it, might I add," Dark Pit replied, while Pit rolled his eyes. Dark Pit turned his 3DS off, as Pit did the same with his 3DS. "Sure. Let's head to the indoor tennis court right now,"

"Can I join you guys to watch?" Pit asked. "I really need something to do, considering I'm done with my matches today, and I don't want to be alone."

"But this match between me and Dark Pit was suppose to be private!" Bowser Jr. whined. "I want to prove that I'm number one at tennis to Dark Pit without anyone watching!"

"Are you saying that because you don't want to be embarrassed when I mop the floor with you?" Dark Pit teased. Bowser Jr. merely smiled smugly back at Dark Pit, as both mischievous fighters eyed each other with competitive smirks, even if in Bowser Jr.'s case, he had to look up due to not being very tall, as he was still very young. "Anyway... sorry Pit but this is a private event. We did just play some Tetris DS, so don't act like we didn't hang out today. Plus...wouldn't want your... bad luck rubbing off on me after all, during my tennis match against Junior,"

"Hey! You can't use that against me when you said you didn't believe in it, the other day!" Pit whined as both left the room to head to the elevator in the hallway. Pit went to his room which looked similar to Dark Pit's room, except it had a white aesthetic instead as he placed his white 3DS onto the white marble table in his room. Pit soon went back to the hallway, and started tapping his foot, wondering what to do. "Ugh. Everyone else is busy today as well. Guess I'll have to find something else to do alone,"

Pit began to ponder, as he closed Dark Pit's room for him. He began to think what to do. He wasn't in the mood to do anything physical considering the matches he just had earlier. It didn't help his last one for the day, was against Bowser Jr.'s father, who needless to say was always a hard hitter with his fists and drop kicks. He wanted to do something to relax and catch some rest.

"Oh I know! Why didn't I think of this before? I'll use the hot springs! My back is still killing me after Bowser sent me flying with that drop kick earlier today. I do love me some spa time," Pit exclaimed to himself in the hallway. He began to head to his destination, as it was time for him to get some spa time, as he put it. He soon found himself taking an elevator to the floor, and immediately signed in to use the unisex one. The employees there knew Pit very well, so they weren't surprised to see him at all by this point and that he usually kept his tunic on when using them. He soon found himself in front of the doors to the unisex springs.

"Watch out hot springs, here comes Pit, reporting for a cannonball!" Pit jovially yelled, as he closed his eyes, kicked the door open, and immediately ran for a bit, before doing a cannonball maneuver into the hot spring water. He soon found himself out the water with a huge smile on his face, though he soon saw two very familiar faces, he didn't expect to see. Fuuka stared blankly at Pit, as she was now doused all over in water, while Minato had an annoyed expression as he was also doused. Both were wearing their bathing suits, and were in the middle of enjoying the peace and quiet the hot spring had, before Pit's interruption.

"Oh... err... didn't expect to see you guys here," Pit said sheepishly, while Minato looked like he was very tempted to go get his Evoker from the male locker room. "I'm so sorry! I kind of like to act impulsive like that! Please don't summon something to make my day any worse!"

"What's wrong?" Fuuka asked concerned.

"Everyone else is busy with their schedules today. I kind of wanted to do stuff with people after my matches, so I wouldn't be alone. Plus my last match ended with me getting my butt whooped by a painful drop kick. Mind if I hang out with you two?" Pit answered. Minato rolled his eyes, but reluctantly nodded back. "Sweet! Was I... interrupting anything?"

"What do you think?" Minato asked with a bit of annoyance still present in his voice, causing Pit to sheepishly smile once more. Fuuka just sighed, but she didn't mind the angel's presence.

"Sorry. I understand you two want your alone time considering you're both such a cute couple and all," Pit replied. "Actually... now that I think about it... how did you two first meet anyway?"

Both Minato and Fuuka were surprised with what they were just heard. It's been a while since anyone brought up how they met, in a very long time. They both looked at each other, unsure how to respond.

"Well... I can understand if that kind of thing is a bit too personal to talk about," Pit said, feeling more guilty. "Forget I asked,"

"No it's just... well... do you feel comfortable talking about it Minato?" Fuuka asked, very concerned to Minato. These weren't exactly the most pleasant memories, though they were both thankful it had led them both discovering each other. Minato was concerned about Fuuka having to remember how they met more, then himself remembering. The blue haired teenager put himself into a deep thought. Was Pit really someone they trust to tell something like this about? Sure he was a nice guy, but his behavior was pretty... questionable at times. Still, he was probably going to be one of the few friends they make here, considering their limited options with the orders.

"Alright but you have to promise not to talk about this to the other fighters. Do you understand?" Minato said very seriously, as he had a skeptical look on Pit.

"I promise on my behalf, that I will not spill any secret about you two, if my name isn't Pit!" the angel said, as he did a comical salute. Fuuka giggled at Pit, while Minato just reluctantly smiled, but felt like he was going to regret this.

"Alright... so how we met was..."

* * *

It was a warm Spring day on April 9th in 2009. We focus on a famous high school located on the man made island, known as Tatsumi Port Island. This high school was Gekkoukan High, and was very prestigious. It was built and funded by a corporation known as the Kirijo Group. We focus on a particular scene where three girls had just knocked down one girl's bag, as it laid spilled on the ground. It was at the first floor corridor, that connected the main building with the gym, as it was an outdoors area with trees planted around the corridor. The girl on the ground was Fuuka as she looked really upset, as the three girls who stood in front of her with smirks.

"Ms. Moriyama, please stop..." Fuuka pleaded.

"Why? We're just inspecting your personal belongings for you," said the girl in the front with a teasing tone. She was Natsuki Moriyama. She had long orange hair tied into a short ponytail, tanned skin, and wore the Gekkoukan High uniform. She along with the two girls behind her, loved to bully and tease Fuuka. "That's goody goody Fuuka for you! No fun stuff at all on her!"

Natsuki and the two girls behind her laughed, as they turned around to walk away, while Fuuka sighed. Why was she so weak? Why did she let this happen? Why couldn't she ever do anything to defend herself? Fuuka resisted the tears that threatened to come out of her eyes. She would not cry at school like this. It was hard enough her own parents thought very low of her, despite her good grades in school. She began to pick up her books when suddenly she heard footsteps behind her. Soon she saw a blue haired teen she had never seen before. He had a stoic expression on his face, yet he was now picking up her books for her. Fuuka felt something spark within her, as no one else had ever done something like this before.

"Thank you for helping," Fuuka said quietly, as Minato gave her back all her books. Minato nodded towards her, before he quietly walked away, as Fuuka felt her heart beating.

"Wait a minute...you met Fuuka when she was getting bullied?" Pit asked, interrupting them telling the story. Minato had an annoyed expression on his face once more for being interrupted, while Fuuka nodded. "That's terrible. I'm so sorry to hear that Fuuka. I know the feeling of being bullied and it's not a happy one,"

"You were bullied?" Fuuka asked, feeling bad for the angel.

"Sort of. It was for... being an angel that can't fly... very touchy subject some liked to bring up during my past," Pit said very seriously. "My wings kind of have... a defect. But seriously... as the captain of Palutena's royal guard... I'm an angel who couldn't fly. Man what a laughing stock I was and still am to this day. It's always going to be a very touchy subject for me."

"I'm really sorry to hear that," Fuuka said concerned. Minato couldn't stay annoyed at Pit after hearing that, as he too had a sympathetic expression on his face.

"Nah it's alright. I've dealt with way worse then that," Pit said trying to lighten the mood. "I feel worse for you Fuuka. Seriously... you're such a nice and sweet person. I don't understand why anyone would do that to you,"

"It's... alright... it's all in the past. Anyway I think Minato should continue the story," Fuuka said quietly back, as Minato looked at her, with very concerned eyes. She nodded back, showing she didn't mind. Minato looked towards Pit with a serious expression as he continued his story.

Minato was at the locales nearby the Iwatodai Station. He had decided to check out the area after visiting Akihiko at the hospital, earlier that day on April 25th 2009. It was now evening as the sun started to set, as he had just left the Bookworms Used Books store. He just saw someone that made him stop and feel concerned. It was that girl he had seen getting bullied the other day as she was talking to that same girl that was bullying her the other day.

"Quit bothering me! Leave me alone!" Natsuki shouted at Fuuka.

"I can't! They say there's all sorts of scary people there. I don't want you to go to a place like that," Fuuka said back concerned.

"Where I go is none of your business! Why should you care?" Natsuki asked.

"I have to care!" Fuuka spoke out, feeling concerned for Natsuki.

"God, you're so annoying! What is with you!?" Natsuki said, as she pushed Fuuka to the ground and slowly began to walk away. "I only hang out with you to mess with you! Seriously stop acting like we're friends!"

Fuuka felt her heart sink even lower. All she wanted was to make sure Natsuki was safe, even if the girl bullied her. Why did she let her kindness take advantage of her? Why was she so vulnerable, when all she wanted to do was make others feel happy and be safe? She once again felt tears threaten to come out her eyes, but she resisted for she wouldn't allow this to happen, because she wanted to feel not weak. She then felt a hand on her shoulder, that caused her to look behind her. It was that same blue haired boy she had seen before, who helped her out earlier that month. He lent his hand out, and she obliged taking it, as he helped her off the ground.

"Thank you," Fuuka said very gently as she was lifted off the ground. Minato nodded as he felt something towards the girl, but he didn't know what it was yet exactly. "Please let me repay you. I was going to get a snack here with... my friend but... would you like to share with me instead?"

Minato nodded, and soon both found themselves sitting on a bench. Fuuka had just ordered some takoyaki (a octopus based snack dish) from the Weird Takoyaki business nearby. The women who served the takoyaki to them, couldn't help but think of the two as a cute couple, as Fuuka shared some of her dish with Minato.

"Thanks," Minato said gently as he took one of the takoyaki. Fuuka nodded, as both of them felt something emotional growing within them. Minato found himself staring at Fuuka's face directly, and when the teal haired girl noticed, she couldn't help but blush and feel a bit embarrassed. "Why... why do you have to care? She said you shouldn't right?"

"I know. It's because we're friends. Maybe I shouldn't have said those things to her. But... I want her to be safe. That's why I have to care," Fuuka answered back gently. Minato nodded, as the two stayed together there for a while. "Actually... now that I think about it, I never introduced myself to you. I'm sorry for forgetting. My name is Fuuka... Fuuka Yamagishi,"

"My name is Minato Arisato. Don't be sorry. You don't have anything to apologize for," Minato said quietly back to her. Fuuka... was so serene, gentle, and peaceful. It was unlike anyone he had ever met before. It was quiet, yet peaceful for the both of them as they sat on the bench as they ate their takoyaki slowly. Soon they both eventually departed from each other, but both felt something within them that made them not want to do so, as they went their separate ways. That feeling continued to grow for both, as it made them wonder if it was that particular feeling.

"I don't get it," Pit said confused, as he interrupted once more. "This girl is mean to you, but... you're her friend?"

"Well... I know it's complicated but I always believe everyone has a good side to them. Natsuki... is not a bad person," Fuuka said quietly. "I know it's not normal but... I guess I'm too nice for my own good sometimes,"

"No... I kind of get what you mean now," Pit said quietly back, to the both of them. "I mean... when Pittoo and I first met, we were on pretty unfriendly terms. But... over time we got over our differences and we get along now as buddies, even if we argue a lot. Was it similar for you and this girl?"

Fuuka nodded, as she and Pit looked towards Minato once more, as he continued to explain the story. Minato explained many things to Pit. What SEES was, and how he was a member. What stuff like Personas, the Dark Hour, Tartarus, Shadows, and so on were. He then talked about how SEES had to rescue Fuuka from Tartarus, since she became trapped there due to circumstances. We now reconvene on the night of June 8th 2009, as we see Minato reconvening with Junpei, and Akihiko roaming the hallways of Tartarus as, Minato had gotten separated due to certain factors. Yukari and Mitsuru stayed at the entrance of Tartarus as support, in case anything would go wrong.

"Good thing we're all here," Akihiko said, relieved to see Minato with him and Junpei now. "Junpei and I checked out this whole floor so far,"

"Yeah... Akihiko sempai and I haven't heard any voices since we've been here or seen any sign of her," Junpei said concerned. "Maybe... maybe she's-"

"Don't say that!" Minato shouted angrily, surprising both Junpei and Akihiko from his outburst. Minato was normally so calm, yet this mission in particular he seemed more on edge. "We're going to find Fuuka and I refuse to leave till we do so!"

"...Minato!?" shouted a very familiar, but surprised voice. All three immediately looked around, as the teal haired girl, emerged from down the hallway. The three ran to her, as Minato looked so relieved.

"Fuuka are you alright?" Minato asked concerned. She nodded, but she was so confused, to what exactly was going on.

"I see you two are already acquainted," Akihiko noted. "I'm Akihiko Sananda and the guy with the baseball cap is Junpei Iori,"

"We're here to save you!" Junpei exclaimed. Fuuka nodded, happy to see them, but was still confused at what was going on. "We have a lot to explain, but for now let's just get out of here!"

"Wait before we go... here take this," Akihiko said, as he handed Fuuka her Evoker. Fuuka was of course surprised, seeing what appeared to be a handgun given to her. "Don't worry. It's not a real gun. Think of it as a lucky charm. It's called an Evoker,"

Fuuka took it for now as the the group of four made their way out, and headed back to the entrance of Tartarus. They eventually stopped to look out a window to view the full moon outside, to catch their breath for some moments.

"It's a full moon tonight," Fuuka said quietly.

"Huh... you're right." Junpei said, as he stared at it. "Looks pretty even if we're viewing it from this lame tower,"

"Wasn't it a full moon the night we had the monorail operation?" Minato stated, as he recalled that. Akihiko himself suddenly realized something as he heard this.

"Wait a minute... the night the dorm was attacked... it was a full moon as well," Akihiko said out loud. Fuuka of course was confused by what they were all talking about, since she wasn't present for these events. "I wonder... does that mean-"

But before any of them could say anything else, they all heard what sounded like Mitsuru, as she sounded very distressed.

"Whoever hears this, get back to the entrance immediately! Yukari and I are under attack and need-" but before, Mitsuru could finish, the transmission disappeared. Fuuka for some reason felt very concerned since she sensed something very concerning.

"What the heck just happened?" Junpei asked, feeling nervous.

"I feel... something powerful is attacking," Fuuka said with a lot of concern, as she was still getting use to this sensation that prevented her from being caught by the creatures that lurked in this tower. "It's nearby us as well,"

"Damn it!" Akihiko shouted. "It's those special Shadows again! If my theory is right, every full moon they show up. We all have to get moving now!"

They all ran, and soon they all found themselves at the entrance to Tartarus. Mitsuru and Yukari were knocked to the sides, as two powerful creatures stood nearby them. One looked like if it were an emperor as it carried a large sword, and the other looked reminiscent of a empress, as it held a large staff.

"Whoa! Two special Shadows!?" Junpei whined.

"Fuuka. Stay close to us," Minato said concerned, as Fuuka nodded, feeling afraid of what she saw.

Akihiko immediately ran towards Yukari and Mitsuru, and managed to get them off the ground, as the two stood tiredly now.

"My ice attacks at first had an effect, but it soon stopped for some reason," Mitsuru said weakly.

"I can say the same for my wind attacks," Yukari said exhausted. "They worked after Mitsuru's attack but then it stopped working. I don't get it,"

"That makes no sense," Akihiko said, as he was just confused to what he just heard.

"Hey... what's that girl from school doing here?" Junpei shouted, as they all turned to see what appeared to be Natsuki walking in.

"What!? Why the hell is she here?" Akihiko shouted, now even more confused. Natsuki appeared to be in a zombie like state, as her current mannerism suggested. The two Shadows looked towards Natsuki and slowly began to walk towards her. Fuuka seeing this became extremely concerned.

"Moriyama-san!" Fuuka yelled out very concerned. Minato saw Fuuka running towards Natsuki, and immediately followed after her. His heart was telling him, that he wouldn't let anyone or anything hurt Fuuka for some reason. Soon Fuuka held Natsuki, as the other girl just kept repeating Fuuka's name for some reason. Fuuka took out her Evoker and for some reason... she just knew that this was what she had to do as the two Shadows were soon nearby her.

"Per...so...na," Fuuka said quietly as she used her Evoker on herself. The sound of a gunshot roared out as, Fuuka and Natsuki were protected within the being that Fuuka summoned. Her Persona Lucia at the time before it evolved into her current Persona Juno.

"Fuuka," Minato said with both awe and concern. He and the other members turned to face the two Shadows, as they held their weapons, ready to fight. Fuuka's abilities were discovered to be analytical as her Persona allowed her to discover her enemy's strengths and weaknesses. The two Shadows the members of SEES fought, was discovered to have the ability to keep changing their weaknesses. Figuring this out, the members of SEES had easily managed to take out the two Shadows. After the fight, Fuuka fell unconscious as Minato immediately rushed to her side. He picked her up, and had a very concerned expression on his face, as he felt worry go through with him.

"Fuuka," Minato whispered concerned. This girl... he felt so at peace with her, and right now he was hoping she was alright.

"Arisato... take her to the hospital," Mitsuru ordered, seeing how Minato clearly cared for her very dearly. "We'll handle bringing Ms. Moriyama to the hospital,"

"It's such a shame. Natsuki won't remember... Fuuka saving her because of the effects of the Dark Hour on non Persona users," Yukari said, feeling bad and concerned for Fuuka.

"I don't know. Stranger things have happened," Akihiko stated. "Anyway... Junpei, help me carry Natsuki up will you?"

Both Junpei and Akihiko decided to carry Natsuki up, while Minato insisted on carrying Fuuka alone. Due to Mitsuru's influence and connections, she managed to find the two a room in a nearby hospital. Time passed as a couple of days passed and it was now June 12th 2009. Minato, Yukari, and Junpei were waiting inside Class 2-E that morning, as they heard Fuuka and Natsuki were coming back as they fully recovered. Soon both girls entered the classroom, as silence filled the air.

"So Fuuka... I heard you're moving to the dorm," Natsuki said quietly. "If you want... I can help you with shopping for stuff for your new dorm room,"

"Moriyama-san!" Fuuka said happily back quietly. Natsuki smiled, while she took her seat in the class. Fuuka looked towards Junpei and Yukari who both smiled happily back at her. Fuuka then looked toward Minato, who's expression on his face looked stoic at first. But it slowly turned into a small, but very kind and gentle smile, as the two found each other looking at each other like this. Junpei and Yukari in particular was amazed, as this was the first time they saw Minato ever smile, as they've known him to be very apathetic from what they've seen of him prior.

"Wow... Fuuka was that special to you to make you smile like that huh?" Pit said quietly. Minato nodded. "That's a really interesting way to meet someone... and I can see it developed to what you two have now,"

"Fuuka... is someone very important to me. Someone I'll always love and value with my heart," Minato said quietly. Fuuka hearing this had tears of happiness come from her eyes. She smiled and hugged Minato, and he did the same. Pit had tears comically falling from his eyes, as he rubbed them away. Fuuka was definitely a very kind girl, definitely deserving of such a title.

"Oh man. That was so romantic and cute!" Pit said. "You two are definitely couple of all the years! Anyway... I think that's enough hot spring time for me today. I promise I won't talk about what you told me to anyone else. You two also definitely deserve some time alone. Later guys!"

Pit waved bye to them, as Minato and Fuuka nodded. Pit soon dried himself off, as he made his way back to the elevator. He felt so much more happy for them, as his mood was definitely lifted. He was definitely glad to have been made friends with the members of SEES. They were a good friendly bunch and Minato definitely brought his own style to Smash Tower. He was soon back in his own floor and he saw Dark Pit and Bowser Jr. were in the hallway.

"Hey guys. How the tennis game go?" Pit asked.

"Terrible. All the tennis balls were gone," Bowser Jr. whined. "We couldn't play any tennis games at all!"

"What? Why?" Pit asked with raised eyebrows.

"Apparently... that damn dog and duck accidentally blew them all up with their oil cans when they were in the tennis court area. The chairmen are working on ordering more tennis balls for tomorrow." Dark Pit said irritated. "Seriously? Why do we put up with this? Luckily we just decided to play a different sport while we were at the sports courts,"

"But I wanted to play tennis today," Bowser Jr. said with frustration as he was tempted to throw a temper tantrum. "Oh well. I guess I'm happy to be able to just hang out with Dark Pit,"

"Oh... so what now?" Pit asked. Both Dark Pit and Bowser Jr. looked unsure as the two stared at each other and at Pit as well. Suddenly Dark Pit had an idea, as he pulled out his black 3DS.

"Want to get that rematch of Tetris DS in now?" Dark Pit suggested.

"You bet! I'll take you on!" Pit said as he went to his room, grabbed his white 3DS, and was back out in the hallway.

"Can I join in?" Bowser Jr. asked. Both Pit and Dark Pit nodded, as Junior happily smiled back considering Tetris DS supported multiple players. "Yeah! I'm going to head back to my room to grab my orange 3DS then!"

As Bowser Jr. left, Dark Pit turned to face Pit, as he noted that his tunic was still a bit wet, and not fully dry yet.

"Went to the hot springs huh? Always wearing your tunic on as usual," Dark Pit stated in a matter of fact tone.

"Well you should try! It's not so bad," Pit suggested.

"Not likely. Maybe if you beat me in the next round of Tetris DS, I'll consider it," Dark Pit challenged.

"You're on Pittoo!" Pit replied back happily. It reminded him of Fuuka and Natsuki so similarly. How he and Dark Pit used to hate each others guts, but now got along. Soon Bowser Jr. came back with his own orange 3DS, as the three headed to Dark Pit's room to play some Tetris DS in peace. We look back towards the unisex hot springs room as Minato and Fuuka were still there. Right now, Fuuka was simply leaning on Minato, as he wrapped his arms around her. Her eyes were closed, as was his as they simply stayed like this peacefully for a while. It was both nice and painful to revisit those memories but they happened, and weren't something you could deny about.

"Do you think... we should tell Pit more of our past in the future, Minato? Fuuka asked very quietly.

"Maybe. I like him. I'm just concerned about his big mouth but... I'll consider it," Minato answered back gently. Fuuka nodded back, as they continued to stay like this for a while, before they left the hot springs, got dressed up, and met with the rest of SEES for dinner that night.

**To Be Continued...**

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**So that's Chapter 6. What did you guys think? Here's some notes as always.  
**

**1\. I wanted to not have every chapter around the orders, since it be constant action. It be boring, predictable, and tiring to have multiple chapters in a row, based purely on completing the orders like that for me to write. So occasionally I want to mix things up like this.  
**

**2\. I also wanted to introduce other characters besides having them appear in just the orders. Maybe Bowser Jr. will get more involved later on?**

**3\. The scenes from the past with Minato and Fuuka are based off a combination of the 1st Persona 3 Movie (Persona 3: Spring of Birth) and the in game depiction of those events. It wasn't exactly the same, if anyone familiar with that series probably knows.  
**

**4\. Game systems do exist, as Pit, Dark Pit, and Bowser Jr. playing a fun game of Tetris DS (easily one of the best Tetris games ever) on their 3DS systems have shown. **

**5\. Pit and Dark Pit during the beginning of Kid Icarus Uprising, weren't really what I call friends. Total opposite of that and all. I thought it be neat to parallel that relationship with Fuuka and Natsuki, even if it did work and play out differently. **

**Anyway I think that about wraps it up. I hope you guys enjoyed, and till next chapter!**


	7. Punchy Preparations

**Here we are at Chapter 7! Some things I want to quickly address. This chapter is Part 1 of the next Order from The Master/Master Hand, but Part 2 has not been started yet. I figure I give you guys something to read in the meantime, since writing Part 2 as well at the same time would cause an even longer wait. But I do hope you guys enjoy. Like always, if you got anything, any thoughts, or any opinions you want to speak about, don't be afraid to do so. Anyway... let's get this next chapter on the road! I hope you all enjoy!**

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The next day after Minato's second order, the members of SEES were having breakfast together in the cafeteria. Junpei and Yukari were having waffles, Shinjiro, Akihiko, and Mitsuru had some eggs (cooked scrambled, fried, and boiled respectively), Ken had a bowl of cereal, Koromaru was enjoying the Smash branded dog treats, while Minato and Fuuka had pancakes. Aigis being a robot, didn't need to eat, but sat with them regardless as they were her companions. Pit and Dark Pit were nearby at another table playing Tetris DS against each other on their 3DS systems while they had both had bowls of cereal, while Ike was seen on the same table as them eating eggs, bacon, and sausage. The members of SEES were now discussing the two previous orders as, Fuuka brought up something that caught her attention, in regards to them.

"I was thinking about something," Fuuka said quietly, as the rest of them turned their attention to her. "About... the first two orders Minato had so far,"

"What is it?" Junpei said with a mouthful of waffle, which he then swallowed down. "What's to think about in regards to them?"

"Well... so far I think they might be following a pattern kind of, but I don't want to say for sure yet," Fuuka said as she began to think them over.

"Well...I wouldn't mind hearing your current theory on it so far Fuuka. We should look over the first two orders as well then," Yukari replied.

"So the first order from The Master had Minato and Yukari fighting Pit and Dark Pit," Shinjiro said.

"Correct. Minato-san then fought Ike yesterday for his second order from The Master," Aigis noted. "What do you think the pattern is so far, though Fuuka-san?"

"Well...Pit and Dark Pit primarily fight with bows. Ike fights with a two handed sword," Fuuka said. "Do you think that maybe... The Master intended it that way?"

"What do you mean?" Ken asked confused. "Just because they fought with bows and two handed swords?"

"I mean... Minato can fight with both kinds of weapons. Yukari specializes in fighting with bows while Junpei specializes in fighting with two handed swords." Fuuka said to further back up her theory. "Like he's matching Minato's opponents based on that possibly,"

"Do you mean... having each of Arisato's opponents fight with a weapon he excels at, that one of us also specialize in you mean?" Mitsuru asked. Fuuka nodded in response, as everyone began to think it over like this. Mitsuru then looked over at Minato as he looked back towards her. "That makes some sense but that doesn't match with Koromaru and Aigis. You've never fought with knives or guns before right?"

"No but this theory does match up so far." Minato said. "Those chairmen wouldn't have bothered giving you guys your weapons on our second day here at Smash Tower back in January, for no reason. Plus Yukari was asked to fight in my first order with me against Pit and Dark Pit,"

"So are you suggesting for every order, Minato is going to fight someone who specializes in something the rest of us use as a weapon?" Yukari asked curiously.

"It's possible," Fuuka said. "I guess we'll have to see but I do think it's a possibility,"

"So Minato might face someone really good with his fists, a one handed sword, guns, knives possibly, and bludgeons for his remaining orders," Shinjiro said. "Well if they have forty five different fighters, I guess they have a diverse amount of fighters with different fighting styles and weapons,"

"I'm still amazed they have that many in this competition," Junpei said. "Forty five different fighters. This is their 4th tournament as well,"

"If Minato makes it in... he be their forty sixth fighter," Yukari said.

"Well... The Master and his chairmen may want me for their forty sixth fighter... but guess I'll have to prove them, they can't force that on me still," Minato said with a confident smirk.

Besides the daily life and training, the members of SEES had gotten to know Ike as well, besides Pit and Dark Pit. Ike was definitely more calm compared to those two, and Junpei in particular really liked hanging out with him. Getting to train how to use a two handed sword and having fun together at the Home Run Contests they do together. Ike also told them tales of his time when he and his mercenaries traveled together and such. He was a nice contrast from the both Pit's extreme goofiness and Dark Pit's extreme seriousness, as he was more calm and balanced in terms of his personality. It was nice to now have three companions besides having just two, from Smash Tower.

It was now April 1st. Despite this day being known for pranks and tricks galore, the members of SEES knew to take it seriously, as it was time for them to find out about the third of The Master's orders, as they approached the chairmen's office. Once inside, they saw Jade, the green chairman waiting inside, as they all sat down. He was looking rather annoyed, having to deal with them all, as he held a big green ticket.

"I do something for April Fools on you, but you're already a fool for not signing this contract," Jade mumbled annoyed while Minato rolled his eyes, at what he just heard. Jade still couldn't believe Minato was denying this opportunity to be a part of Super Smash Bros. Jade thought, most people be insanely jealous just to be offered a chance to become a part of Super Smash Bros and that Minato was being ridiculous for not signing his contract yet. "But whatever. This next order you're definitely losing in,"

The green wearing chairman just gave his green order ticket to Minato, with a confident smirk, as the blue haired boy began to look it over.

"My next opponent is named... Little Mac?" Minato questioned. That was definitely an interesting name. Sounded like some sort of name, one would use for when they performed, or in this case fought.

"It's his stage name and the name he chooses to go by here. Don't make a big deal over it," Jade said annoyed. "His real name is Mac. The little part is because he's five feet, seven inches,"

"Well that's not too bad. I'm only two inches taller," Akihiko mentioned. A lot of SEES nodded. They weren't exactly the tallest bunch of teenagers.

"The arena is called the Boxing Ring. It will be a one stock match and also a stamina match with no items available," Minato said, as he finished reading the rest of the ticket's order. Akihiko in particular couldn't help but notice the arena's name.

"Boxing Ring? Does that mean Little Mac is a boxer?" Akihiko asked, very curiously. Jade flashed a smirk.

"Yep. Needless to say... Mr. Arisato over here is in for a world of hurt. I can't wait to see Little Mac knock your lights outs. Anyway... if you want, I can schedule an appointment with him this Friday in the afternoon during lunchtime. Not like it'll do you much," Jade said confidently. They all stared at the chairman with disapproval but agreed to the appointment. "Smart move. Also... unlike the other arenas, the Boxing Ring is actually located here in New York City, so when your match happens, you guys will all take a bus to the arena. Little Mac will pick you guys up and take you outside for once, to the bus taking you to the Boxing Arena at 5PM that day. This match is scheduled for the Friday of April 17th at 7PM though, so you'll have some time in the Boxing Ring to prepare before your match. I can't personally wait. You all will get to watch Mr. Arisato get beat by Little Mac, live and in person!"

"You really dislike someone you want to be apart of your fighting competition, do you?" Junpei asked with an annoyed expression. Jade's expression frowned from hearing that as he turned to face the baseball capped individual.

"Nobody ever turned down The Master before he showed up. If The Master wants someone in, he's going to get that person in," Jade replied annoyed. "If Mr. Arisato signed his contract, I wouldn't hold any disdain for him."

"He is not obligated to sign your contract if he does not desire to do so," Aigis said feeling annoyed at the green chairman. "He is his own person who can make his own choices, not someone who will be chained to his circumstances,"

"Well in that case I'm not obligated to really like him, till he gives me a reason to do so," Jade replied with snark.

"I can live with that," Minato said with a smirk. Jade just scowled while they all left, and were now taking the elevator back down to their floor. Yukari in particular looked miffed, due to Jade's behavior.

"Man why does that chairman in the green suit, get so mad at you Minato?" Yukari asked.

"I think he's green with envy or at least acts jealous for anyone that would be," Junpei joked. "But seriously... that guy's attitude makes me want to use him, instead of Sandbag for the Home Run Contest stuff I've been doing with Ike lately,"

"Calm down you two. He'll be proven wrong when the next order is completed," Shinjiro stated as he turned to face Minato. "I think it's safe to say Aki is going to be your main coach for your next match considering you're up against a boxer this time around."

"Can you handle it Akihiko?" Mitsuru asked. Akihiko nodded towards her, and he looked towards Minato who gave him a thumbs up in return.

"Don't worry. Little Mac maybe a strong boxer if he got accepted into this fighting competition, but I can definitely get Minato up to speed on stuff like that," Akihiko said confidently.

"I believe Fuuka-san will do the research on Little Mac and the Boxing Ring," Aigis asked with a smile, as Fuuka nodded back towards her. "This also helps strengthen her theory, she discussed in the past,"

"The one about every order having fighters that match our fighting style right?" Junpei said, as Aigis nodded back. "So now it's Akihiko sempai's turn as well. Also glad we get to see more of New York finally,"

"I can't believe we get to see the glimpse of the rest of New York aside from looking out windows as well," Ken said happily. "We've been always stuck in this tower, besides that first day in January."

They all nodded in agreement. They liked and enjoyed Smash Tower and the occupants they met so far (barring the eight chairmen brothers), but the fact that they were forbidden to go out, even with all the activities and things to do inside, felt ensnaring sometimes. Koromaru in particular really wanted to get out. The indoor park was fun, but it definitely couldn't compare to being outside.

"I guess it's time we start hitting up Sandbag," Minato said. Akihiko nodded, as he was ready to coach Minato to his next order. Of course it didn't help that a certain dark angel and his small reptilian childish princely partner in crime, (that the members of SEES have still yet to meet) had caused the gym to be unavailable that day due to a giant prank they pulled. Apparently... multiple bottles of diet cola found with scotch mints within them were the cause of a flood of soda. So of course the gym had to be cleaned for that day. Poor Sandbag was feeling rather drenched in diet cola. Akihiko and Minato had resorted to jogging inside the indoor park instead, to train.

* * *

The next morning soon came as SEES had their own meeting in their conference room. It was that time again as Fuuka closed the lights, and a holographic screen appeared. It depicted a white male young adult, wearing green shorts, black boxing shoes, green boxing gloves, and a black undershirt. He had black hair, blue eyes, his skin was slightly tanned, and he was definitely toned with some muscle.

"Whoa. I know I said something similar about Ike but... this dude really looks like he give Akihiko sempai a run for his money," Junpei said feeling nervous.

"Eh. I'm sure Aki would still win in a fight, knowing him," Shinjiro stated, as he flashed Akihiko a smile.

"Alright Yamagishi. Let's start by hearing Little Mac's occupation," Mitsuru asked, as Fuuka nodded back in response.

"Little Mac is a seventeen your old boxer who has defeated many powerful boxers from all over the world in his time in the WVBA," Fuuka explained.

"WVBA?" Aigis asked with curiosity. "What does that stand for?"

"World Video Boxing Association. It's the name of the boxing organization that Little Mac used to be a part of before joining signing on with Smash Corp. During his time in it, he's become champion and is considered one of the best boxers all around," Fuuka explained. "It also helps he's trained by a former heavyweight boxer champion, who goes by the name Doc Louis,"

"Doc Louis?" Junpei asked confused. "Is... he a doctor?"

"I don't think so. But regardless, he's been training Little Mac for a long time and the two have a good friendship. I hear he's a very nice guy though, and he has a huge appetite for chocolate related foods like chocolate bars and chocolate protein shakes," Fuuka explained.

"I could go for a chocolate protein shake right now," Akihiko said, as he was reminded of all the times he had one. Mitsuru rolled her eyes, and wondered if Akihiko's protein obsession would start up again.

"So what led Smash Corp to wanting to pick Little Mac up, as a member for Super Smash Bros?" Yukari asked. "Not to discredit him, but compared to people like Ike and both Pit and Dark Pit, he seems more... ordinary in comparison,"

"Well... apparently Little Mac once had a special exhibition match, which had him having a boxing match against a gorilla," Fuuka said, causing everyone else to have a surprised expression on their faces. "He beat the gorilla and... well Smash Corp took notice and wanted him in after that,"

"He beat a gorilla in a boxing match?" Ken said surprised. "He has to be pretty strong,"

"Well the thing with Little Mac is that not only is he strong... but he's very smart too." Fuuka explained. "Little Mac is said to take note when his opponents leave themselves open, and take advantage of those moments to fight back. Otherwise, he can be pretty defensive as well,"

"Really strong and really smart eh?" Akihiko said, impressed. "Interesting. Anyway I think it's time we learn more about his fighting style."

Fuuka nodded as she turned off the holographic image of Little Mac, and soon placed a video on. It showed Little Mac in that white room practicing on Sandbag. They all noted he was fast with his punches, as he slammed his fists against Sandbag. Punches like jabs, hooks, and uppercuts connected hard against Sandbag, as he either stayed in place or moved around to hit Sandbag.

"Little Mac being a boxer, specializes in punching with his fists. Besides all those kinds of punches, he also has some other powerful techniques as well. He has the Straight Lunge, which is when he'll do a dashing punch. He has the Jolt Haymaker where he'll leap forward and deliver a punch. He has the Rising Uppercut which has him punching upward in a jump. He finally has the Slip Counter, where if he goes into a special defensive stance, and if he's attacked while doing it, will attack back with an uppercut," Fuuka explained as Little Mac performed each action.

First Little Mac was seen rearing his right fist back, as if he were charging it, then unleashing his Straight Lunge as he slammed forward into Sandbag. He then positioned himself where he did a running leap, where he hit Sandbag with a Jolt Haymaker. He then positioned himself right near by Sandbag as he performed a Rising Uppercut, knocking Sandbag into the air. Finally he made a defensive stance where he quickly raised his left arm over his face, and his right arm was drawn back as he performed a Slip Counter.

"Geez. You really think you can take on this guy, Minato? He's only seventeen and he's a powerhouse of destruction considering he managed to beat a gorilla in a boxing match," Junpei asked.

"Junpei, we beat Nyx remember?" Minato reminded.

"Oh yeah... good point." Junpei said. "Still, I think even Akihiko sempai would have trouble with this guy in a boxing match."

"Every one has their weaknesses. I'm sure Little Mac has some of his own," Akihiko said.

"He does have one very big weakness. While Little Mac is considered one of the best, if not the best ground fighter in this tournament... he apparently is really bad at fighting in the air," Fuuka said, as the video showed Little Mac triying to desperately attack in the air. It was like watching a glass cannon backfire, as all of Little Mac's attacks in the air were very... awkward and flimsy in comparison to his attacks in the ground. Akihiko in particular really cringed, as it reassured him even more to fight primarily on the ground. It was like watching a fish out of water, except in this case... it was a boxer flailing in the air.

"So keep him in the air and he's a goner huh?" Minato asked, as Fuuka nodded back to him.

"Yes. Also he has a really poor recovery, so if you were fighting him on a arena where he can fall off, it be easy to knock him out... but the Boxing Ring has no place where you can fall off though," Fuuka said concerned.

"Well I know his Final Smash is not likely to come into play due to this match having no items appearing, but we should review what it is before going over the Boxing Ring, for future reference," Mitsuru suggested. The video soon showed Little Mac breaking a Smash Ball as he glowed an intense aura, along with his eyes glowing yellow as well. A white light enveloped Little Mac as he roared, as he soon transformed into what appeared to be a hulking monster of a man. He was huge, buff, and looked more like a caveman as he beat up Sandbag with huge destructive punches. He soon turned back into Little Mac as the effects of the Smash Ball wore off, and he then crossed his fists as the video ended.

"What... was that!?" Junpei shouted. "Holy crap! Steroids to the extreme?"

"Little Mac's Final Smash allows him to transform into what's called... Giga Mac. His attacks and speed are strengthened significantly while he's transformed." Fuuka explained.

"Well I'm thankful Smash Balls are not in play then," Shinjiro stated. "Wouldn't want to go up against that... big mac,"

"Let's go over the Boxing Ring now. That was terrifying," Yukari suggested, intimidated by what she saw. Fuuka opened up a video that showcased the Boxing Ring. A giant indoor stadium with a huge jumbo-tron screen in the background, that showcased the Boxing Ring. The left side of the ring had a red runway, while the right side had a blue runaway. The ring itself had blue flooring with the Smash Bros symbol on the center, ropes you would see on such an arena, a light fixture above the ring, and what appeared to be a huge audience watching a match live. It appeared to showcase Little Mac fighting against Ike, in the arena as people cheered wildly. The jumbo-tron screen in the background occasionally showcased each fighter's "title," as Little Mac went by "Bruiser from the Bronx," while Ike went by "The Radiant Hero of Legend." Soon the video showed Little Mac knocking Ike out of the arena, as the crowd cheered wildly. Soon Ike came back via a Revival Platform and the fight between the two continued.

"So this arena seems to have a live audience," Aigis stated. "Very different from the Reset Bomb Forest and Castle Siege,"

"Yeah. The atmosphere is very different," Yukari noted. "I'm also guessing The Master makes sure the audience are protected so they can't get hurt by the fighters attacks, right Fuuka?"

"Yes. Also it's one of the few arenas where people can watch live, and it's very popular because of that. Little Mac also has a big advantage due to not being able to fall off but there is one thing that can be used against him," Fuuka explained. "The light fixture above the ring, can be knocked down if attacked enough, hitting anyone below it,"

The video showed Ike, jumping onto the ropes along the Boxing Ring, as he got on top of the light fixture. He began to slam hard against it with Ragnell, and soon the fixture came down. Little Mac had no time to react as it came down too fast, and it sent him flying to the side of the arena onto the left runway that glowed red, as the crowd cheered excitedly. Little Mac soon leaped back into the ring, as he and Ike fought again. Soon enough, a new light fixture soon came down from above, replacing the old ones, illuminating the arena once more.

"That Master and his eight underlings sure can create things in a jiffy huh?" Ken said, as apparently Smash Corp didn't mind replacing stuff that fast.

"Using that light fixture trick against Little Mac might work, but he's definitely going to be aware of it as well," Akihiko said towards Minato who nodded back. "He can also use it against you, so keep that in mind.

"This is also a stamina match, so he doesn't have to knock you out of the arena to win. He can just knock you out in general and he would win as well," Mitsuru stated seriously. She was definitely concerned for this order. All the factors leaned towards having Little Mac having the advantage.

"Don't worry Mitsuru. I'll have him hitting Sandbag harder with knuckles then ever before," Akihiko stated boldly. "He'll show Little Mac who's really going to get punched out,"

"Does anyone have any other questions?" Fuuka asked. Koromaru began to bark as Aigis listened to the dog.

"Koromaru-san is curious if Minato will really have a live audience. He said the chairmen all stated, that the matches with Minato are all private," Aigis translated.

"Maybe?" Junpei said in response. "Maybe those color coded chairmen brothers will all come to watch?"

"It be kind of empty for a Boxing Ring not to have some sort of audience during a match like that," Yukari stated. "Maybe Pit, Dark Pit, and Ike will watch?"

"Well... regardless if we have a live audience or not, it's time I really start training Minato. Ready to get faster, stronger, and learn how to really dodge and give a punch?" Akihiko said, feeling pumped up. Minato looked toward Akihiko and nodded once more. The meeting adjourned as everyone went their separate ways, while the two headed to the gym which should have been cleaned by now.

* * *

The next day came soon. Akihiko made sure to push Minato hard the previous day, as they both showed Sandbag how to really take a punch. Akihiko was also impressed at Minato's speed, as the boy easily dodged all of Akihiko's punches. Soon the two along with Fuuka who had her teal colored notebook along with a pencil and sharpener, sat down together in the cafeteria, while the rest of SEES sat at a nearby table. It's been a while since they had the chance to interview someone, considering Ike was too busy prior to his match, to have one.

Soon a young man wearing a pink jogging suit came in, along with wearing green boxing gloves, and black boxing shoes. He removed his hood and flashed a smile, at the table where Minato, Fuuka, and Akihiko stood. Right behind him came a portly African American man with a mustache, who wore large blue pants, white sneakers, and a red jacket. His right hand had him holding a chocolate bar that was partially bitten, as the man held it in his right hand. He also held a white plastic bag that seemed to be filled with more chocolate bars. The two sat down on the same table as the three.

"Hey. I'm Little Mac, and the guy eating the chocolate bar is my trainer, Doc Louis," Little Mac said in a friendly tone, as he took his boxing gloves off.

"I'm Minato, and your opponent on April 17th," Minato said calmly, as he and Little Mac had a handshake.

"I'm Fuuka. Here to cheer and help Minato out," Fuuka said happily, as Little Mac reached out to her, and both had a gentle handshake.

"Akihiko Sanada. A guy who was the boxing team captain for his high school, and here to help my comrade here win," Akihiko said, as he and Little Mac had a firm hand shake. The three then shook hands with Doc Louis who had a jovial smile on his face.

"Nice to meet you all! Would you three like a chocolate bar?" Doc Louis said in a friendly manner, as he took three chocolate bars, from his plastic bag, and offered them to Minato, Fuuka, and Akihiko. Minato and Fuuka accepted, while Akihiko shook his head for a no.

"Sorry. I'm more of a fan of stuff like chocolate protein bars or shakes as opposed to plain chocolate. No offense but the calories and all," Akihiko said back.

"Aw shucks son. You sure? Everyone needs some sweet sugar in them. Come on take it. You're a growing boy," Doc Louis insisted as he gave Akihiko his third chocolate bar, despite Akihiko's protest. "You're sounding like that fitness trainer Little Mac's always hangs out with lately. Always focusing on stuff like calories and such, when it's all about the heart and such when it comes to training when being at your best,"

"Fitness trainer lady?" Fuuka asked curiously as she jotted that down in her notebook. Little Mac immediately felt a blush come onto his face, as he looked at Doc Louis with an annoyed expression.

"Doc... we don't talk about her remember?" Little Mac said feeling embarrassed, as Doc Louis referenced another fighter who also joined this tournament, he also found himself attracted to.

"Oh right Mac baby. Sorry about that," Doc Louis said with a grin, as he took another bite from his chocolate bar. Something told the members of SEES that Doc, liked to mess with Little Mac in that friendly manner.

"So... what questions do you want to ask me?" Little Mac asked. "I can't stay for too long because I have to go jogging with Doc soon outside, but you guys can ask me anything you want,"

"How do you like your time in Smash Tower so far?" Fuuka asked.

"It's awesome. I've met so many new friends and people to spar with," Little Mac said happily. "I hear Minato here is being tested to get in. I wish you good luck man,"

Minato nodded back, and this confirmed for sure what he believed. Every fighter so far, still believed that he was being tested to get in, as opposed to knowing the real reason why he was fighting these battles. For now he decided to keep up that ruse, considering the chairmen probably wouldn't want him letting them know what his real reasons for fighting are.

"Thanks. I wish you the best as well Little Mac," Minato said.

"So... can you tell us about your previous boxing career before you joined Smash Bros?" Akihiko asked. Little Mac nodded. He told them about how he met Doc Louis and how he trained under him. How he went through three boxing circuits (Minor, Major, and World) and faced many unique and powerful boxers along the way. Then he told them how he had to defend his title, as all those boxers wanted to face him for his championship belt. Finally he told them after successfully defending his title of champion, that he was offered a certain match with a gorilla.

"Man was that bananas," Little Mac said. "I never saw myself fighting against a gorilla. But I somehow managed to win... and because of that match, Smash Corp became interested in me,"

"Made me want to get a chocolate banana split right after the match, ha ha ha!" Doc Louis joked in a jovial manner.

"Do you like eating chocolate as much as Doc Louis, Little Mac?" Fuuka asked.

"While I'm not as into it as much as him... yeah I do," Little Mac said with a grin as Fuuka jotted that down. "I could go for some chocolate after my jog later,"

"Already got you covered Mac baby!" Doc Louis said happily. "Granny Louis is always happy to whip you up some chocolate. I'll bring all you kids some of her chocolate in the future too,"

"Sure I guess," Akihiko said, though he still hadn't eaten his chocolate bar that Doc Louis gave him. "Do you have anything to ask us?"

"I ask this from Minato... don't hold back on me. Fight to your fullest potential," Little Mac said as Minato nodded respectfully towards the boxer as they both shook hands once more. "Let's fight to our best abilities. Anyway I have to go jogging now for training. I'm letting Doc Louis borrow my bike while I jog after him outside. It was nice meeting you all. I look forward to our match on April 17th."

With that, Little Mac and Doc Louis left, though Doc Louis made sure to give the other members of SEES a chocolate bar (except Koromaru) as well before going. The members of SEES all regrouped to discuss their thoughts, while Koromaru whined about not getting any chocolate.

"Sorry boy. Chocolate isn't good for dogs," Ken said as he petted Koromaru to comfort him.

"I'd give Koromaru my chocolate bar if he could eat it without any problems," Akihiko said. "I don't mean to be rude but Doc Louis isn't exactly in the best shape himself at the moment,"

"Eat the damn chocolate bar Aki," Shinjiro said annoyed. "The man offered it to you, and you can easily work the calories off if that thought bothers you so much. Plus you brush regularly anyway so don't worry about your teeth falling out either,"

"Speaking of calories... when Doc Louis brought that up, he also mentioned another fighter," Mitsuru mused while Akihiko began to unwrap his chocolate bar, to begin eating it. "A female fitness trainer?"

"A fitness trainer who is also a fighter... she must be in really good shape as well," Yukari said. "I also noticed Little Mac blushed when Doc Louis talked about her. Guess this tower is just full of relationships huh?"

Minato and Fuuka just blushed from hearing that, while Yukari just laughed softly at their reaction. Junpei took a bite out of his chocolate bar, and had a huge grin on his face.

"This chocolate is delicious! But back to what Yuka-tan and Mitsuru sempai was saying... a female fitness trainer fighter? We haven't met her yet have we?" Junpei said.

"No. We haven't," Minato stated. "We've only had a proper introduction with Pit, Dark Pit, Ike, and now Little Mac,"

"We also have yet to meet the blonde haired swordsman with the red unique blade and the monstrous turtle as well. Nor have we met who Junior and Triple-D as Pit refers to, as well," Aigis noted. "But I shall keep a record of this female fitness trainer for future reference in case we do eventually meet her,"

"So what else did we learn from this?" Ken asked. "Besides Doc Louis and Little Mac's love of chocolate?"

"...Err... not much," Akihiko stated, as he took a bite from his chocolate bar. "I admit though, I would definitely like to spar with him in the future. I guess I'll be training Minato like my time being the captain of Gekkoukan again,"

"Well you need to be the equivalent to Doc Louis, as Minato is now your Little Mac," Shinjiro said. "Train him well, and he'll be the one showing Little Mac the knockout. If not... Minato is going to be the one who's going who'll be facing defeat,"

"I know Akihiko can do this," Mitsuru said with a smile. "If anyone can train Arisato to defeat Little Mac in this upcoming fighting match, it's Akihiko. I've seen him coach others at Gekkoukan back then with large success for his boxing team,"

"Thanks Mitsuru," Akihiko said with a smile. "Anyway I think it's about time I start training Minato again. Ready to hit up Sandbag?"

Minato nodded. This was going to be a match that he was going to get ready for. Was he going to punch Little Mac out, or was he the one to be punched out? That remained to be seen, but he was going to get ready to see the results in the future.

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**So keep in mind this is Part 1, but Part 2 is not ready yet, for concluding this order. Some notes as always.  
**

**1\. So that observation pointed out in the beginning of the chapter was the initial idea for how I decided to pick each opponent. It would give each member of SEES a way to help fight/coach Minato to victory and give them more of a role, and have it make sense (Ex-Yukari fights with a box, have her help Minato out against fighters who specialize in it, etc). Of course, like I've said in the past things can always change, if I do decide to change my mind on how to handle future ones. **

**2\. It was also pointed out that Aigis and Koromaru use weapons that Minato doesn't use in Persona 3. But they'll still have opponents that match them in some way for when they help Minato out for those orders.**

**3\. Doc Louis's love of chocolate is something that comes from Punch Out Wii and was not in the original NES game. The Punch Out characters are mainly based on the Wii game. I liked Next Level Game's take on the classic franchise though. Easily a very fun game.  
**

**4\. That fitness trainer lady mentioned, is of course the Wii Fit Trainer who's also a playable character in Super Smash Bros for 3DS/Wii U. That and it make sense for someone like Little Mac to hang out with such a person, in his free time. I don't think I'll really bring up the alternate male fitness trainer, at least not as another fighter, if I do bring up this character again in the future.  
**

**5\. Akihiko was a captain of his boxing team in Gekkoukan High. It make sense for him to also be a good coach for Minato as well. Not every battle will be one on one though, as some will definitely be team battles, so it won't purely have every supporting character of that order be a coach as well.  
**

**6\. The members of SEES have always not been the tallest bunch. Granted Shinjiro is 5 Feet and 10 inches, which isn't too bad but still. They range from 5 feet (Fuuka's height) to Shinjiro's but they are in their high school bodies. Then again, it doesn't really matter. After all, Little Mac is still a bruiser, despite his height. **

**7\. Oh yeah. April Fools is a thing. I figure I mention it since every beginning of the month, Minato receives his next order. What better way to mention it, then have Dark Pit and Bowser Jr. work their mischievous influence with the classic Diet Coke and Mentos pranks? **

**8\. Little Mac can actually fight Donkey Kong in Punch Out Wii, as referenced in this chapter, if you fulfill the right conditions. Crazy stuff games can have sometimes. I don't think anybody expected that at the time.**

**9\. Akihiko starting with Persona 4 Arena was known for having a bit of a protein crave. This continued in Persona 4 Arena Ultimax and Persona Q as well.**

**10\. The Boxing Ring stage in the Wii U version occasionally showcases the fighters "titles," in the background on the jumbo-tron screen. Kind of similar to how in Persona 4 Arena &amp; Ultimax, the playable characters have a title as well, though in those games they tend to be more mocking.  
**

**So I guess that about wraps up this chapter. Next time, we'll see the actual confrontation between Minato and Little Mac at the Boxing Ring arena. If you have any thoughts, opinions, and such, don't be afraid to state them. Otherwise I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and the story so far, good luck with your own stuff, and till next time! **


	8. Knockouts At The Boxing Ring!

**Chapter 8 is here at last! Part 2 of the 3rd Order is now complete. Couple of quick things. Some of the future orders can now be more easily predicted due to what was revealed in the last chapter. Also... not every Smash character will necessarily be focused on as that one guest review asking about Sonic said. If he does show, it won't be anything major I think. Anyway, get ready to listen to a tune as always during these fights. If you have anything you want to say, don't be afraid to speak your mind. Enjoy the chapter guys!**

* * *

Akihiko made sure to train hard with Minato, as they hit the gym every day, as Minato continued to dodge and give punches back at Akihiko. Minato also made sure not to neglect his skills with his other weapons, as he made sure to practice with his spear in particular. Someone fast like Little Mac he needed the distance, and speed to attack safely from afar.

Fuuka in the mean time did more research on the particular opponents that Little Mac fought to become champion of the WVBA, to see if they could learn anything from those fights. They would watch some of these fights a day, to see how Little Mac fought against other boxers. They watched the Minor, Major, and World Circuit matches in that order. Needless to say, these boxers that Little Mac faced off against were quite the characters themselves, as they all had some quirky traits in their personalities or being, as they watched these fights.

The first match was against a boxer, who was a frail Frenchman who went by the name, Glass Joe. Needless to say he was a bit of a glass jaw if anything, as he had at least ninety nine losses and only one win in his boxing career. He was needless to say, someone easily shattered by Little Mac's punch and was soon seeing croissants and baguettes when he got knocked out. Next came a German military boxing instructor known as Von Kaiser who had his tics during his matches. Tics that made him easy for Little Mac to dodge and counter, as Little Mac added onto Von Kaiser's emotional trauma, as the instructor got beat by kids during his instructing. Next came the flashy and fancy Disco Kid from Brooklyn, New York who loved to dance. If Disco Kid didn't focus on posing and dancing so much during his fight, he probably wouldn't have taken a musically inspired knock out. Finally came the huge King Hippo who was the best of the Minor Circuit. Little Mac struggled at first but was quick to pick up on King Hippo's big open mouth being where he should hit, causing the big guy to drop drop his shorts (thankfully he was wearing underwear). Little Mac would then pound away at his stomach, which had the huge opponent, knocked out and right off the ring into defeat.

The Major Circuit was up next, and where the opponents were a step up. First came Piston Hondo, who took his boxing as if he were still a traditional Japanese warrior. Unfortunately for Piston Hondo, his eyebrow twitching gave away his punches, which led to Little Mac making the boxer see sushi for defeat. Next came the Canadian Bear Hugger, who's devastating "bear hugs," were made pointless with Little Mac's ducks, which led to the big guy seeing maple leaves, as he was knocked out soon after. Next came the Indian Great Tiger who's magical tricks and illusions at first left Little Mac befuddled, but the young boxer soon saw through the delusions, as he gave Great Tiger a whooping as Doc Louis would put it. Next came the top Major Circuit boxer, Don Flamenco from Spain. A former bullfighter whose punches could send bulls flying, and was a bit of a ladies man, as he loved to give red roses to girls in the audience. Little Mac was the bull that sent Don Flamenco packing, as the Spaniard boxer tasted a rosy defeat, due to Little Mac knocking his toupee off (which Little Mac didn't even know he wore), making Don Flamenco go into a uncontrollable fury that proved to be his downfall.

Finally came the World Circuit where Little Mac was truly up against the elite of the elite, in terms of boxers. First came Aran Ryan from Ireland, who played very dirty with his boxing style (headbutting is not boxing and putting horseshoes in your boxing gloves is not allowed...) and seemed to be a bit masochistic, as he didn't mind being hit. Little Mac quickly saw through his cheap tricks, and sent the joker packing though. Next came Soda Popinski, a Russian who really liked his carbonated drinks, as even during the match he would attempt to drink some during the match to recuperate. Little Mac wasn't having it, as he would punch those plastic soda bottles away, which would cause the Russian boxer to lose his cool, and leave himself vulnerable to defeat. The next fighter was a Turkish guy who went by the name Bald Bull, who had a very devastating attack, known as the Bull Charge which was a devastating charging uppercut. Unfortunately for him, a simple hook to his stomach during the charge would knock him down surprisingly, as Little Mac countered against this move, leading to victory. The second to last opponent was a cocky Californian boxer who went by the name, Super Macho Man. Needless to say, he was a pretty narcissistic individual, who loved his stardom and loved to show off his macho punches. Little Mac however noted that all he had to do was, duck below said punches, and he would soon fight back afterward, showing Super Macho Man some real stars to look at.

Finally came the championship match where Little Mac would face off against a guy known as Mr. Sandman. A really powerful boxer who's raw strength was good enough to make you go nighty night, with his fists. Little Mac fought long and hard in this championship match, but he would eventually claim victory over his powerful opponent. After becoming champion, all his previous opponents challenged Little Mac for his championship belt, as they all had new tricks up their sleeves. Little Mac proved successful as he would learn their new strategies and best them all once more, still keeping his title. After seeing all this, they knew Minato had to be at the top of his game, for this fight.

* * *

The date eventually approached as it was now April 17th. The members of SEES all awaited in the hallway as they waited for Little Mac to show. It was now 5PM, as Little Mac soon entered, and he still wore his pink jogging suit. He beckoned them to follow him, as they all nodded in response. They soon took the elevator all the way to what appeared to be a parking garage basement as a large black bus that was marked with the Smash Bros symbol with a blue and orange fire design was present on it.

"Well this is it. Good luck man," Little Mac said, as they all entered and sat in the bus. Little Mac went to sit with Doc Louis who was already napping at the front seat, waiting for Little Mac. Yukari and Junpei sat next to each other, Akihiko and Mitsuru sat next to each other, Ken and Shinjiro sat next to each other, Aigis held and petted Koromaru in her seat, while Minato and Fuuka sat together all the way in the back seats. Soon a bus driver entered and he began to drive them out of the parking lot. They soon got to see the rest of New York City, as they passed by many tall buildings. They noticed that many people stopped to stare at the Smash Bros bus, as they passed by, waving towards it.

They soon arrived at Madison Square Garden as that was where the Boxing Ring arena was located, as the bus parked in front of it. Little Mac shook Doc Louis to wake him up, as the two nodded towards each other, and then to the members of SEES.

"Alright guys. I wish you the best. Your locker is on the right side. See you later," Little Mac said, as he and Doc Louis left the bus before the others. The members of SEES slowly stepped off and looked around. They felt the cool chilly breeze of the wind hit them, as they looked at the evening sky as the sun was nearly down, and the sky slowly became dark.

"Wow. It's awesome to feel the breeze like this," Junpei said as he took a deep breath of the fresh air around him. "After this, I'm really tempted to go ask if we can hang outside Smash Tower more,"

"I really hope they let us. I would like to check out New York more," Yukari said, as she nodded in agreement.

"Let's worry about winning this order first, before we think about that," Shinjiro said, though he couldn't deny, this chance to be outside felt really nice.

"So this is the famous Madison Square Garden." Aigis stated, as she stared at it. "Said to hold many sporting events, including boxing ones,"

"Will we have a live audience watching?" Ken questioned. The atmosphere was definitely feeling different compared to the first two orders, for the members of SEES. It was one thing to watch a match on a huge TV provided to them, but to actually see a match at the arena, live and in person was another.

"We'll soon find out," Mitsuru said with a calm confident smile.

"Time to get this show on the road. Ready to show Little Mac who's boss?" Akihiko asked. Minato looked towards Fuuka who nodded back with a smile, and Minato then looked towards Akihiko with a smile and nod. They all walked towards Madison Square Garden and as soon as they entered... they were all unprepared for the amount of fans inside, as they all screamed many things towards them.

"**OH MY GOD! IT'S MINATO-KUN!**"

"**HE'S SO DREAMY!**"

"**I WANT TO TOUCH HIS BLUE HAIR!**"

Needless to say... tons of female teenagers and young adults swarmed the members of SEES as they were utterly shocked by the amount of people inside. Koromaru whined as he got pushed and shoved, causing Ken to have to pick up the dog to hold. Nearby stood the eight chairmen with a confident smirk. Jade, the green chairman was standing in the front of his brothers, as he had the most smug grin as his name tag P4 shined with confidence.

"How are you liking your fans Mr. Arisato?" Jade yelled over to him. "They all paid tickets to see a special guest match for our potential newcomer here, isn't that right ladies?"

"**PLEASE MAKE IT IN! WE VISIT SMASH TOWER EVERYDAY TO SEE YOU!**"

"**WE HOPE YOU MAKE IT IN MINATO-KUN!**"

"**CAN I GET YOUR AUTOGRAPH!?**"

Minato glared at Jade, which caused the female fans to just blush even harder, as they remarked about his trademark apathetic attitude. For the rest of SEES, it felt so awkward knowing that even the public in this world were apparently aware of them and all their exploits. Having their whole adventure apparently documented in some way, for the public to know about them like this, was definitely something they had to readjust to. Jade in particular just laughed at Minato's reaction.

"Let's see if Mr. Arisato is up to the challenge. For the rest of SEES not participating we have a special seating arrangement at the Boxing Ring itself. We'll be seeing your match later as well," Jade yelled, as he and his seven brothers left. Junpei, and Shinjiro, began to clear a path as Akihiko grabbed Minato and led him to his locker room as the rest of SEES followed. Soon they were in a blue locker room, as they all sighed.

"Wow. That was unexpected," Yukari said with surprise. "I guess they are having a live audience to watch after all."

"I wonder... will anyone ask me for a autograph?" Junpei pondered.

"I'm sure. Everyone has their fans Junpei sempai," Ken said, as Koromaru barked in agreement.

"It's not that great Junpei," Akihiko said as he recalled similar moments happening to him in Gekkoukan High, while he was captain of it's boxing team. "Being constantly swarmed like that gets on your nerves,"

"I remember. The rest of your team had to constantly be your bodyguards from your fans," Mitsuru teased, while Akihiko looked embarrassed from hearing that.

"Well Aki... any final words you got to say to Minato? We all have to go get to our seats soon and that includes you and Fuuka as well," Shinjiro asked.

"Remember everything we went over. Keep your distance when possible, and be extremely careful when you're in close range within Little Mac. Most of all... do your best," Akihiko said, as he and Minato shared a handshake.

"Minato... good luck and be safe." Fuuka said gently, as she and Minato shared a hug. The rest of SEES soon left the locker room as they made their way to the main Boxing Ring. The seats were packed full, as the whole indoor stadium roared with noise. Everyone on the right side of the audience, were of Minato's fans as they all cheered wildly for the blue haired boy, while everyone on the left side consisted of Little Mac's fans. Little Mac's fans were a stark contrast, as it mostly consisted of males and of an older audience, one you would see at a Boxing Ring normally. The members of SEES saw a special reserved area near the middle of the gallery with their seats, where it faced the jumbo-tron screen on the other side. Behind them, the chairmen sat at a special reserved private luxury sky-box area from above, as they all were drinking champagne and each were eating their own various snacks. They were eager to see this match as well, particularly Jade. Junpei, Akihiko, Ken, and Shinjiro had to go find a restroom, so the girls were left alone with Koromaru, as the boys said they come back along with buying food for them to eat and drink. They sat down as they all looked around, when a bunch of fan girls walked over to them all. These girls in particular wore what appeared to be t-shirts that said "Minato Arisato Fan Club," as their shirts also depicted the blue haired teen.

"Are you guys the real members of SEES?" they all asked. The remaining members of SEES saw no reason to object, as they all nodded. The fan girls then began asking some very personal questions.

"Who did Minato-kun get with? It had to be Yukari right?"

"No way. He got with Aigis!"

"Nope. Someone like Minato would be with Mitsuru."

The remaining members of SEES all felt really awkward from what they just heard. Not only were their adventures known, but apparently people paired them up as well. Yukari, Mitsuru, and Aigis all looked at each other with confused expressions.

"Arisato is with Yamagishi," Mitsuru stated simply.

"Indeed. Minato-san and Fuuka-san are together," Aigis added on.

"Yeah... none of us are with Minato like that. He's like... that with Fuuka," Yukari answered back awkwardly. The fan girls all looked at the members of SEES and then back at each other, before they just exploded with laughter. The members of SEES looked even more confused as the fan girls eventually stopped laughing.

"Oh man. I didn't knew Mitsuru had a sense of humor,"

"I didn't think Aigis had one as well, at least not something like that,"

"Good one Yukari! Gasping Fuuka of all people got with Minato? Ha! Seriously, you got with Minato right?"

The three members of SEES all looked surprised and disgusted with what they just heard. Before anyone could answer back, a bell began to ring as it signified for everyone to soon get into their seats, as the match was about to start soon as the fan girls hurried back to their paid seats. Yukari, Mitsuru, and Aigis looked at Fuuka who had her eyes closed, as she was trying to ignore what she just heard, with a hurt expression present on the rest of her face.

"Forget them Fuuka. That was really mean of them," Yukari said as she held her friend's hand.

"Indeed. Such rude behavior that was. Ignore them Yamagishi," Mitsuru said gently as she held Fuuka's other hand. Koromaru barked as he wanted Fuuka to feel better as well.

"That was unnecessary, what they said. I hope you feel better Fuuka-san," Aigis stated gently. Fuuka looked at the three with a small smile, thankful for their kind words. Still... she couldn't help but still feel inadequate. Soon Junpei, Akihiko, Ken, and Shinjiro returned as they all carried stuff like popcorn, cotton candy, peanuts, hot dogs, and soda drinks. The boys distributed the food among them all as they all sat and wait for the match to soon begin.

"Are you going to use your Persona Fuuka? I mean... we're right nearby for Minato to hear us, for you and Akihiko sempai to give advice unlike the Reset Bomb Forest and Castle Siege arenas," Junpei asked.

"That's a good question Junpei. I guess I don't have to this time," Fuuka responded. Those times she has used her Persona, to communicate was due to the nature of those arenas. This time, she was in relative close proximity of Minato, so any advice she and Akihiko would want to say, they just simply shout due to being so close. Soon silence fell, as a familiar loud enthusiastic announcer could be heard.

"Are you ready New York City for this very special match!?" the announcer announced. The crowd cheered wildly as the indoor stadium had the spotlights now focus on both opposite ends of the Boxing Ring.

"First off is the boxing champion who weighs in at 107 pounds, and is known as the Bruiser from the Bronx, let's give it up for Little Mac!" the announcer shouted. From the red runway on the left, Little Mac entered the spotlight with his pink jogging suit, with Doc Louis behind him. Little Mac with one quick motion, threw his pink jogging suit off as Doc caught it, and was now wearing his traditional boxing attire underneath. Doc Louis walked near the ring as he stood by one of the corners, ready to give his own advice, holding Little Mac's pink jogging suit. The crowd cheered wildly from his side of the ring, as they all chanted his name and encouraged him to win.

"**LITTLE MAC! LITTLE MAC! LITTLE MAC!**"

"**SHOW THAT PRETTY BOY WHOSE BOSS!**"

"Next up is our special guest fighter! Will he be punching out our boxing champ? Let's find out! Standing at a height of five feet and seven inches, comes The Universal Wild Card! Let's give it up for Minato Arisato!" The announcer yelled out. Minato soon stepped in from the blue runway into his spotlight, as all his fans began to cheer wildly for him as well and chanted his name as well. The members of SEES cheered happily as well.

"**MINATO KUN! MINATO KUN! MINATO KUN!**"

"**SHOW LITTLE MACARONI WHOSE THE BEST!**"

The spotlights were gone as the Boxing Ring as a whole lit up, with all the lights in the gallery going dark, to give more focus to the fighters and the Boxing Ring. The jumbo-tron screen showed both fighters with their respective titles. Bruiser from the Bronx, and for what they decided on for Minato, The Universal Wild Card. Soon it focused on the arena itself.

"This match will be a stamina one stock match with no items. Are you all ready? Then let's begin. Three... two... one, **GO!"**

_*** Jogging / Countdown ***_

Little Mac immediately ran and soon leaped onto the main Boxing Ring itself, while Minato immediately did the same from the other side. Minato made sure to take out a spear as Little Mac quickly began to charge up a Straight Lunge. Minato using his spear, quickly used it like a pole vault, as he leaped over Little Mac's Straight Lunge, which caused the boxer to hit the ropes instead.

"Keep on your toes Mac baby!" Doc shouted, as Little Mac nodded back towards his trainer. Little Mac approached Minato, as he waited for him to attack back. Minato however just stood his ground, wearing his brass knuckles. Both circled around each other, as the tension grew.

"You're fighting very defensively. I can appreciate a smart opponent," Little Mac said, as he continued to circle around. Minato simply nodded back as he also circled around. The tension grew as the fans for both fighters cheered louder. Little Mac felt his patience draining as he circled around, but he knew he couldn't let Minato get the advantage. Minato however was used to this, considering his previous occupation before he was revived, so patience was not an issue for him. Little Mac however came up with an idea to stop this circling as his patience grew thin. He ran towards the ropes, and leaped on them, causing himself to bounce high and landed on the light fixture.

"Careful! He's starting to attack it to knock it down!" Fuuka shouted out to Minato who nodded in response as Little Mac began to punch hard at it. However she suddenly heard snickers and discussion from nearby from other people in the audience that caused her to lose focus.

"Isn't that obvious? She's always been so obvious with everything she points out,"

"I missed it when Mitsuru was the navigator,"

"Anyone with functional eyes and a brain can notice that without her saying that,"

Fuuka flinched from what she heard, while the male members of SEES in particular were really surprised with what they just heard now. Mitsuru and Aigis looked frustrated, while Yukari looked like she was really angry, hearing people talk about Fuuka like that. Fuuka shook her head as she focused back on the match. Little Mac kept punching at the lighting fixture hard, as Minato stood nearby a rope. Little Mac took it as an odd thing, as he stopped punching the lighting fixture as Minato could have simply jumped outside of the ring at any point.

"What?" Little Mac said to himself confused. He then saw Minato pull out a bow, as he jumped onto the ropes nearby him, bouncing him upwards as he fired the arrows at Little Mac. The boxer dodged, but also noticed they damaged the lighting fixture, causing the structure to feel a bit more flimsy. Little Mac leaped back onto the ground, while Minato stayed on top of the lighting fixture.

"Well seems like we're at a stalemate," Little Mac noted. He could easily outrun any arrows Minato would shoot from above, if he chose to use his bow. However he then noticed Minato pulled out his Evoker, which caused him and Doc Louis to raise their eyebrows. Especially when he pointed it at his head. "The heck!?"

"Sati! Agilao!" Minato yelled out as he summoned a female burning figure. The Persona then summoned a blast of the fire onto the ring catching Little Mac off guard as he got burned.

"Mac baby... I think your opponent turned you into fried mac and cheese," Doc Louis joked in a surprised and concerned tone by what he just saw, as it was unlike anything he ever saw before. Little Mac immediately shook black soot off himself, as the Persona disappeared and he looked mad. He immediately jumped back onto the rope nearby as he got back onto the light fixture, while Minato jumped off.

"Nice. Keep taking advantage off his long range weakness!"Akihiko shouted. Little Mac decided it was time to bring down the lights, even if Minato wasn't under them, so his opponent couldn't use it against him. Soon the light fixture fell as Little Mac immediately jumped off, causing the arena to darken even more. Minato thankfully jumped out of the ring, and then jumped back on as the debris disappeared. Minato immediately put up a smash shield, as Little Mac leaped at him with a Jolt Haymaker as the boxer connected. Both began to punch and dodge each other repeatedly, as both were taking advantage of their speed. Both saw this was going nowhere, as both dodge rolled away from each other and faced each other once more.

"I don't know what you pulled off back there before, but I have to admit it was a nice trick to catch me off guard. But I'm not falling for it again!" Little Mac shouted, as he ran towards Minato. Minato immediately jumped towards the ropes, but Little Mac was too fast, as he performed a Rising Uppercut, and knocked Minato back down, as the blue haired teen hit the floor with a thud.

"Move Minato!" Akihiko yelled, as Little Mac immediately leaped at Minato with another Jolt Haymaker. Minato immediately rolled to the side, as Little Mac missed and quickly got back up. Minato immediately took out his spear, and using it's long range managed to bash it into Little Mac's head before he could get away fast enough, causing Little Mac to hold his head in pain, as he held his gloved hands on it. Seeing this, Minato immediately went in with his brass knuckles, as he gave Little Mac a couple of quick punches to his face, before knocking him to the side. A new light fixture was finally lowered into the Boxing Ring.

"Get up son! Remember to be slippery with your counters!" Doc Louis yelled out, trying to remind him about his Slip Counter technique. Little Mac quickly got back up as he nodded at what he just heard, as Minato charged at him again with his fists. Taking Doc Louis's advice, he quickly performed a Slip Counter, causing Little Mac to uppercut Minato hard into the air. Little Mac immediately began charging a Straight Lunge.

"Watch out Minato!" Fuuka shouted. Minato immediately took out his spear and decided to try something. He used it to stab the ground, and held onto the top. Little Mac charged for the spear, while Minato then dropped off from it, readying his brass knuckled fist as he slammed into Little Mac onto the ground. This caught the boxer off guard badly, as he was knocked into the ropes feeling winded, as Minato quickly stood up and took a defensive stance with his fists as he backed away towards the opposite ropes. The eight chairmen watching from their luxury box couldn't help but feel tense at what they were watching.

"He's... doing pretty good," Golden, the yellow chairman said with a mix of positivity and fear as contradicting as it sounds.

"You figured he be beaten so easily didn't you?" Azure asked to his green wearing brother, as Jade felt a scowl come onto his face.

"If anybody can beat Mr. Arisato, it's Little Mac! The Master practically made this order specifically in Little Mac's favor," Jade responded with gritted teeth.

"Well Little Mac better pick up the pace. Mr. Arisato is proving quite strong... and worthy as The Master's choices always are," Crimson said angrily, as he stuffed popcorn into his face, trying to keep calm.

Minato took advantage of Little Mac getting back up, as he quickly jumped onto the ropes once more and got onto the new light fixture. Little Mac seeing this quickly eyed the nearest rope near him, as he prepared to leap onto it.

"Minato! Try using an ailment," Fuuka shouted out to him. Minato nodded as he decided to try this new strategy as he took out his Evoker once more. Watching the videos of Little Mac's previous fights, Fuuka noted that some of Little Mac's opponents lost due to being provoked and losing their cool in some way. If they could inflict such a status or anything that would cause Little Mac to lose his focus on Minato, they might have a similar result.

"Incubus! Evil Smile!" Minato yelled and order as he summoned a new Persona. A red male winged being appeared just as Little Mac got onto the light fixture, and soon made a rather evil grin towards Little Mac. The boxer suddenly felt fearful as he started to hold himself as he looked extremely fearful and he began sucking on his right thumb... err boxing glove, as Minato's Persona disappeared. All of Little Mac's fans were needless to say, speechless and had awkward expressions on their faces, while all of Minato's fans began to laugh wildly.

"What!?" Doc Louis yelled out, really confused now.

"Time to keep him in the sky!" Akihiko yelled out.

Minato took this opportunity to go over to the boxer and began hitting him with his fists and knocking him into the air, while Little Mac continued to be fearful. Doc Louis began to sweat as he began to think of things to say, to try to snap him out of it.

"Umm... I'll let you have next week off from training?" Doc Louis shouted, as Little Mac took another punch, still in fear.

"Err... I'll get Granny Louis to bake you three chocolate cakes?" Doc Louis shouted, as Little Mac continued to take even more punches, as he was still in that fearful status.

"Uhhh... you're taking a really big whooping right now?" Doc Louis yelled, as Little Mac continued to take even more punches and juggled into the air. Suddenly he had the perfect thing to shout, as he came up with the perfect thing to get Little Mac out of this state.

"Hey mac baby! If you don't snap out of it, I'm going to publicly announce to everyone you got a crush on Ms. Fit to everybody!" Doc Louis really yelled hard. Little Mac hearing this finally snapped, out of it as he took another punch to his face and was knocked into the air once more with a shocked and annoyed expression.

"You just announced it you know!?" Little Mac yelled back, as he took another punch to his face and fell back onto the light fixture with his feet planted. Little Mac went back to focus on Minato as he had enough of this punching. As Minato threw another punch, Little Mac quickly performed another Slip Counter, catching Minato off guard and gave him a uppercut, that knocked him off the light fixture. Little Mac's fans all cheered wildly once more, as Minato hit the Boxing Ring ground hard and did not seem to be getting up as he laid down with his eyes shut, as the members of SEES looked really concerned.

"What's this folks? Is our Universal Wild Card down for the count? Let's count it down folks. If he's not up by the count of ten, he's knocked out and this stamina match will be over!" the announcer announced, while Minato's fans all began to cheer wildly for him, to try to wake him up. The eight chairmen from their luxury box all began to grin. Jade in particular looked really excited as he began drinking a soda heavily, feeling rather giddy.

"One... two... three," the announcer began.

"You can wake up!" Yukari shouted.

"Yeah! Don't give up man!" Junpei added on.

"You still have time!" Aigis stated.

"Four... five... six," the announcer continued.

"It's not over Arisato!" Mitsuru shouted.

"You can do it leader!" Shinjiro added.

"Please get up! You can still win this!" Ken shouted, as Koromaru barked to show his support as well.

"Seven," the announcer said, as he approached the next number.

"Minato! A match isn't over till it's over. You can still do this!" Akihiko shouted.

"Eight," the announcer yelled, as the countdown was nearly over.

"**MINATO! I BELIEVE IN YOU WITH ALL MY BEING!**" Fuuka screamed with all her heart."**I'LL NEVER GIVE UP ON YOU!**"

Minato's eyes slowly began to open, as he heard their words of encouragement. Fuuka's words in particular really woke him up, as he slowly struggled to get up.

"Nine... what is this!? Is he still able to continue?" the announcer shouted shocked. Minato slowly but surely got up, as he warily stood in a defensive position with his fists up. "He is! This match is not over yet folks!"

The chairmen all watching had mixed negative reactions. Some were frustrated, some were disappointed, and some just did not want to watch anymore. Jade in particular crushed his soda cup, as it sprayed on the floor, and he gritted his teeth. Minato's fans cheered even more wildly, while the members of SEES were happy and relieved that Minato was still able to fight.

"Mac baby, give him more of the spotlight!" Doc Louis shouted, as Little Mac began to attack the new light fixture. Minato simply stared back, as he had a new risky plan in mind, against the boxer. Little Mac meanwhile was determined to get rid of this light fixture, regardless if Minato was going to be hit by it or not, considering that burn he received last time and making sure Minato couldn't take advantage of it. Minato gripped his Evoker and quickly summoned another Persona as Little Mac continued to punch hard at the new light fixture.

"Thor! Ziodyne!" Minato yelled as he summoned the being and pointed at the light fixture. The Persona fired a blast of electricity at the light fixture, shocking Little Mac who comically began to spaz out as he was shocked. Soon the light fixture exploded into nothing, as Little Mac plummeted towards the ground. Minato seeing this, quickly ran under him, and performed his own uppercut, giving the boxer a really hard hit, as he slammed into the ground and laid there with his own eyes shut.

"Looks like Little Mac is the one knocked out. Time to begin the countdown," the announcer announced. All of Little Mac's fans began to cheer wildly, while Doc Louis desperately tried to wake him up with his words of encouragement. However it wasn't enough as the announcer finally reached to the count of ten, and this stamina match was officially over as a bell began to ding. All the chairmen in the luxury box just sighed, with the exception of Jade who slowly got up and left, as he had to now go to stamp Minato's green ticket.

"**GAME!**" the announcer yelled out. "Let's give it up to Minato Arisato!"

Minato's fans all cheered wildly, while Little Mac's fans all booed the blue haired teen. Minato just shrugged, not really caring for the cheering or booing he received, as his attention turned to the other members of SEES. He smiled at them all, as they all smiled back at him. Akihiko and Fuuka in particular were really grinning, happy at this turn of events. Doc Louis got on stage, as he gently shook Little Mac who was on the ground, as the beat up boxer slowly awoken.

"Good job son. Good job," Doc Louis said kindly as he helped Little Mac up. Little Mac looked bruised and beaten, as did Minato as both walked up to each other and gently shook hands. Soon Jade showed up with a forced smile, as he took out his black ink stamp as Minato pulled out his green order ticket. The green ticket now had the black Smash Bros symbol stamped onto it, as Minato's fans cheered even more loudly. Jade walked away fast as he didn't want to deal with the blue haired teenager at the moment, while Minato just smiled.

* * *

Later on that night, everyone was exhausted on the bus ride. The bus was currently taking Doc Louis home first, as he didn't live in Smash Tower. Little Mac was seen wearing his pink jogging suit again, knocked out in sleep as he was too tired. Everyone else was asleep except Minato and Fuuka who were sitting together in the back. Fuuka had used her Persona earlier to heal Minato, but right now Minato just held onto her, as he considered that the best medicine, as he still felt sore.

"Thanks Fuuka. Your advice along with Akihiko's really helped out," Minato said gently.

"Thanks Minato," Fuuka said really quietly back, trying to sound happy, but she still sounded a little sad from what she heard earlier from the fans that said those things about her. Minato took notice of her sad tone immediately and was curious.

"You okay Fuuka?" Minato asked concerned. Fuuka gently shook her head for a yes, yet Minato felt that wasn't really a real yes. "Don't be afraid to tell me. I'm always free to listen,"

"Well... am I... obvious?" Fuuka asked, feeling bad. "I mean... my advice I gave during the arena was something I shouldn't have pointed out,"

"What's this about?" Minato asked. Fuuka sighed as she wasn't sure if this was something she should talk about. "Nothing wrong with that. Advice is advice and I always appreciate what you have to say."

"Sorry... some of your fans were... saying things about it. That and... they also didn't expect me to be with you like... some thought you got with Yukari... or Aigis... or Mitsuru sempai. I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have brought this up and-" but before Fuuka said anything else, Minato gave Fuuka a gentle peck on her lips, causing the teal haired girl to blush.

"Forget those obsessive fans. I can see why Akihiko sempai was annoyed by his obsessed fans when he was still boxing captain at Gekkoukan. Fuuka... you'll always be the one for me, in my heart. No one, or nothing is ever going to change that," Minato said gently as he held onto Fuuka even closer. Fuuka said nothing as they stayed like this feeling a bit better. Suddenly they stopped as they heard someone whistling.

"Guess Mac baby isn't the only one with a passionate heart," Doc Louis teased, as both teens blushed. The bus now stopped in front of a large house, as the rest of SEES woke up along with Little Mac. "Have a good night everyone!"

They all waved goodbye to Doc Louis and soon the bus eventually took them all back to Smash Tower. The members of SEES all called it a night as they all headed to their rooms to freshen up and head to bed, while Little Mac did the same for himself. Next morning came as they all held a meeting in the their own conference room. Minato in particular felt really sore, as he laid on his office chair.

"Great job on your fight Arisato," Mitsuru stated. "Akihiko, your coaching was impeccable and Yamagishi's advice worked out as usual,"

"It felt like old times," Akihiko said with a grin. "I also can't wait to spar against Little Mac in the future,"

"Thank you Mitsuru sempai," Fuuka said with a smile.

"You feeling better Fuuka?" Yukari asked concerned. "About... what those fans said?"

"Yeah. Forget what they said. Totally rude," Junpei added.

"It's alright Yukari and Junpei. Thank you both," Fuuka said back with a nod. Suddenly the doors to their conference room began to be pounded on. Minato would have gotten it, had he not felt so sore. Aigis got up and decided to open it, as they saw two familiar faces outside.

"Little Mac and Doc Louis. Good morning," Aigis said politely. Little Mac was wearing a casual black t-shirt, green pants, and black sneakers, while Doc Louis was still in his usual attire. They noticed that Little Mac was carrying a large plastic bag with a milk gallon, plastic utensils and cups, while Doc Louis carried a large circular plastic container.

"Hey. Figure I celebrate my opponent's victory with some breakfast chocolate cake!" Little Mac exclaimed as he and Doc Louis placed their stuff on the table. Doc Louis opened the plastic container and out came a strong rich scent of chocolate.

"You kids are going to love Granny Louis and her chocolate cake. It is a chocoholics dream! Ha ha ha!" Doc Louis teased happily. Koromaru began to whine once more, but this time Doc Louis was prepared as he took out a big dog bone from his pocket and gave it to the dog. Koromaru barked happily back as Doc Louis began to pet him. Minato and Fuuka simply smiled along with the rest of SEES, as they shared breakfast with Little Mac and his trainer and they all got to know each other better. What a sweet way to start the morning, after the painful punching from last night.

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**Chapter 8 is now done, and so is Minato's 3rd order! What did you guys think? Notes as always.  
**

**1\. I brought up Little Mac's previous history more, to setup for the strategy that helped contribute to his defeat. Plus more trivia for people who are not entirely familiar with the character to learn about.**

**2\. Having a live audience allowed them to interact with the fighters and play up a role in a way. Planting those seeds of doubts or just being a plain old audience.**

**3\. Little Mac... macaroni... mac and cheese... okay I'll stop now because I don't want to this to get more cheesy. I'm sure you all got this.**

**4\. Granny Louis is actually mentioned in some random topics Doc Louis brings up in Punch Out Wii sometimes. She was not made up for the story.**

**5\. The countdown was a way to signify the end of the stamina match, and to reference how matches in Punch Out (plus real life boxing in general) can end by knockouts like that.**

**6\. Jogging/Countdown is a music track that appears in both the 3DS and Wii U version of the Boxing Ring. Figure most people be more aware of it, since it's in both versions.  
**

**7\. I considered having Pit, Dark Pit, and Ike watch as well but I figure they could use a break sometimes. Not like they won't know about it in the future anyways. Those two angels and mercenary.  
**

**8\. Madison Square Garden is where they hold boxing matches in real life. Punch Out Wii takes place in New York. Figured it matched. **

**9\. Ms. Fit is of course the female Wii Fit Trainer that Doc Louis refers too.**

**Well that's about it. I hope you guys enjoyed and till next chapter!**


	9. When Blades Cross & Chill

**Here we are at Chapter 9! I want to address one important thing... I kind of messed up the order of the Chairmen handling the orders when I looked back. Mister green chairman is suppose to be P4 and he was suppose to go this time. Mister yellow chairman was suppose to go for the last order, in terms of handling it due to being P3. Good thing I managed to rectify it with this chapter, as you'll read later on. Get ready to listen to another musical tune, for another battle as well. As always, if you guys got anything to say, don't be afraid to do so. I hope you all enjoy the chapter as we continue on in this story. Enjoy!**

* * *

The days that followed were rather interesting. Earth Day was being celebrated inside Smash Tower as Minato and Fuuka spent time in the indoor park. Fuuka in particular was really happy to plant some flowers, as she and Minato spent some time together doing so. Afterward, Arbor Day soon followed up and the two planted a tree seed in the park together. Pit in particular was glad those two would at the very least, was going to be on Viridi's environmentally friendly list if she ever met them. The month of April in general was a pretty calm time, as Spring continued on. Pit and Dark Pit introduced Yukari to a fun event called the Target Test, where they would compete with each other, in shooting down targets. Junpei still trained with Ike in his free time, and enjoyed the Home Run Contest together. Akihiko in his free time, liked to spar against Little Mac as both competed to see who were better boxers and the teen had to make sure to brush more, as Doc Louis loved to spoil Akihiko with chocolate bars. Life continued on as usual as the weather got warmer which made the members of SEES also try to ask if they were allowed outside more, and the chairmen said they would consider it. Of course they still tempted to get Minato to sign his contract to maybe give them instant access, but he of course didn't as usual.

It was now May 1st as they were now used to this routine, as they were all in the chairmen's office once more. This time it was the yellow chairman who went by the name Golden, as he tried to have some optimism in his face, as he held a large yellow ticket.

"Hello everyone. You know funny thing... my green wearing brother was actually suppose to be giving the fourth order and I was suppose to be giving the third of The Master's orders. Cause I'm P3 and he's P4 and all. We had a bit of a mix up, cause I guess Jade really wanted to give his order ticket before me. Funny right?" Golden said nervously. The members of SEES all stared blankly at the chairmen at what they just heard.

"Are we suppose to care?" Yukari said with hostility, as she was still not fond of these chairmen, whose Master threatened to turn them into trophies if Minato didn't join Smash Corp earlier in the year.

"Yeah! Plus what the heck does P3, P4, or those name tags you guys all wear suppose to stand for anyway? Your red and blue brother wore P1 and P2 as well, while mister green wore P4," Junpei asked. Golden immediately felt nervous, as he awkwardly smiled. That was definitely something he could not go into detail on.

"Forget what you all just heard. I'm not going to elaborate on that. Please take your next order ticket Mr. Arisato," Golden tried to optimistically say as he handed it to Minato immediately. Minato began to overlook it as he read the new details.

"Mitsuru sempai and myself will be facing off against Marth and Lucina?" Minato read out loud. Mitsuru's attention was immediately drawn even more then usual, as she heard that.

"I presume Marth and Lucina are sword fighters?" Mitsuru stated with confidence.

"Yep. Marth and Lucina are two very good sword fighters we have here in this competition. Their speed and elegance in using their blade, is phenomenal," Golden said with praise. "Guess The Master wanted to see those two face off against you two,"

"I fight with a sword as well you know. The Master could have had me teamed up with my buddy," Junpei suggested awkwardly, as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"You do fight with one Mr. Iori... just in this case, Marth and Lucina use one handed blades while you use a two handed blade. So sorry but it seems you don't fit the criteria for what The Master wanted this time," Golden said passive aggressively with a smile on his face. Junpei had a shocked and annoyed expression on his face, while Ken and Koromaru tried to console him.

"So... does The Master really try to match Minato up with his opponents, based on the members of SEES and what could be their counterparts?" Fuuka asked curiously. Golden flinched from hearing that as he forced his mouth into another smile. He wasn't use to having his optimism shatter so easily and that was yet another thing he shouldn't go into detail on.

"I'm not speculating on how The Master decides to do things from this point on. Also don't ask for an appointment with either Marth or Lucina as they're both busy till your next match." Golden replied awkwardly. "Anyway why doesn't Mr. Arisato finish reading the rest of the details present on his ticket?"

"The arena is called the Coliseum and the fight will take place on the Friday of May 8th 3PM. This will be a normal one stock match. Only one item will be available in this match. The Assist Trophy item on a medium frequency will spawn," Minato read. However what caught their attention was two very big things. That this Assist Trophy was one of the items they weren't allowed to know about till now, and that a certain word that made them concerned was present in it's naming.

"Assist... Trophy?" Ken asked curiously.

"You better explain what's the deal with this item," Shinjiro said with a glare, as he looked at the chairman with questioning eyes.

"That name of that item raises a lot of questions, so you better start answering," Akihiko added. Mitsuru nodded as well, as they all looked at the chairman with questionable looks. Golden gulped as they all stared at him. He was always a bit more easygoing along with his siblings Sunset and Sky, compared to the rest of his brothers.

"Alright. Calm down you teenagers. You're lucky I'm normally in a good mood, otherwise I send for our three elite bodyguards to smash at you guys," Golden replied nervously and annoyed back. The members of SEES nodded, but now wondered who these three elite bodyguards were. "I guess I'll explain this for you guys so you don't have to research this as much. An Assist Trophy is an item that is very peculiar. How do I describe it..."

Golden looked at them all, then found himself looking at Minato as he saw the teen had his Evoker on him. He then came up with a good way to describe it.

"Okay so you know when you guys use your Evokers, you summon your Persona to help you out right? Mr. Arisato in particular here, can summon many different kinds. An Assist Trophy is basically, whoever picks it up, someone or something will emerge from it and comes help out the one who picked it up usually, in some way for a temporary amount of time. Why don't I show a video to explain this?" Golden explained.

Golden snapped his fingers, as a yellow keyboard silhouette appeared on the part of the table he sat on. He typed and soon the lights went off, as a video appeared on the projector. It showed what appeared to be a floating island with three platforms floating above it. The one floating platform in the center was raised, while the one to the left and right of it, was lowered. The floor of the floating island had blue and yellow glowing lines among the stone paved ground, with some grass growing nearby as well. Off in the distance you can seen many other floating ruins and structures. Most particular were huge vertical red flags in the distance, as they depicted the Smash Bros symbol in white. Sandbag was seen below the three platforms. They all saw what appeared to be a glass dome over a black silhouette over a trophy stand. What appeared to be a short kid wearing red t-shirt that had a blue one, black shorts, green socks, and blue sneakers walked into view. He had brown hair, a red triangular nose, and big black eyes.

"Where is that and who is that?" Aigis asked as she made a visual record of this new arena and fighter they haven't seen before.

"Oh. That arena is called Battle... wait a minute. I shouldn't have shown this video," Golden said as he immediately flinched and stopped talking before he finished saying that arena's name fully. He was figuring this was probably not the best video to showcase but now shrugged seeing how it was too late. He still stopped talking as the video played on. The video showed the young boy picking up the Assist Trophy and raising it over his head. Soon what appeared to be a humanoid turtle like creature appeared from it. It had a green shell, wore green boots, and wore a green helmet. It actually reminded them of the monstrous turtle they saw a while back, except this turtle was definitely not as much a monster in comparison. It began to throw hammers at an arc at Sandbag, hitting it. It would occasionally jump up to throw it's hammers at Sandbag as well. Eventually the hammer throwing turtle disappeared.

"What you all just saw was one example of an Assist Trophy. How we can have someone or something assist whoever brought out the Assist Trophy during battle. Most Assist Trophies can't hurt the summoner, so fighters tend to go for them quickly. Keep in mind though, that some Assist Trophies might effect the battle in a way, where even the summoner is at risk for negative effects, but for the most part, you want to grab them so your opponent doesn't get them." Golden explained.

"So why are they called... Assist Trophies though?" Ken asked uneasily. "I mean... is it because... they're trophies?" Everyone in the room tensed from hearing that. Golden however shook his head for a no.

"Actually no. It's just a way for The Master to show off his... compulsion for trophies," Golden said trying to find a way to nicely word that and to get off this subject as soon as possible. "Look forget this discussion. I'll only say one more thing about those Assist Trophies. You all know about them now and saw that particular Assist Trophy but... we're going to prevent you guys from knowing any more, aside from the one you just saw,"

"What? How is that fair?" Junpei whined. "You just show us that hammer throwing turtle and that's it?"

"Part of the fun, is being surprised on who or what comes out. Can't take the surprise factor away from you all," Golden said with a smug smile. "Anyway that about wraps it up. All info on Marth, Lucina, and the Coliseum is now available on your tablets. Get to learning. Your next order is only a week way. Marth and Lucina will pick Mr. Arisato and Ms. Kirijo around 2:50 PM. Try to stay positive before they beat you two!"

They all left the chairman's office. They still wanted to know more what exactly was the deal with those Assist Trophies, but decided not to pursue the issue for now. Mitsuru in particular had a mixed expression on her face, from everything she just heard.

"That chairman might normally be positive, but the way he interacted with us was... troubling," Mitsuru stated. "Still... I'm honored to fight by your side once more Arisato. Let's prepare accordingly for the next order from The Master,"

Minato nodded, as both him and Mitsuru looked towards Fuuka who looked towards them. She nodded, as she was ready to put her researching and analytical skills up to use once more. While it was disappointing that the only Assist Trophy they got to see was that turtle creature throwing hammers, they still got to learn about two more fighters and a new arena. Everyone did their own thing, as Mitsuru decided to teach Minato how to fence more.

* * *

The next day came and it was time to do their annual meeting for learning about their opponents and arena. Mitsuru made sure to teach some advanced fencing, as she and Minato trained in the area where they taught fencing. Sandbag seemed to always be around when they needed the cute bag, as they slashed and stabbed at the thing who apparently didn't mind. Fuuka now put up a holographic screen that depicted Marth.

He had blue hair that wasn't as dark as Ike's (it was more closer to Minato's shade actually), a golden tiara worn on his head, a slim build and a very pretty face with blue eyes. He wore a blue coat that was tied by a large brown belt, had a black armor chest plate with gold edges, and black armored shoulder plates with gold edges. He wore black pants, brown boots, and black fingerless arm-braces. He wore a cape, tied around his neck that was red inside, and the back side was blue with a knight's crest symbol. His left hand held on the brown scabbard tied to his left side of the coat, and the right held a sword that had a red jewel in the golden hilt.

"Wow. Looks like Minato if he was a prince. You two lost long relatives?" Junpei joked. Fuuka couldn't help but smile at the thought. She already considered Minato her prince, so to imagine Minato dressed up like Marth, made her blush. Minato just shrugged at Junpei's comment, as he wasn't sure how to take it, but was happy to see Fuuka smiling from it.

"Time we learn his back story. Go for it Fuuka," Yukari encouraged. Fuuka nodded back as she started to explain.

"Marth comes from the same universe from Ike but from a different continent and time period. He is known as the Hero King for what he's accomplished. He grew up having to both fight and lead an army against a dragon beast known as Medeus who threatened his nation, when his kingdom was usurped. The sword he wields is called the Falchion and is said to be blessed by a divine being known as Naga. He is considered a kind, sensitive, and a strong king due to what he's managed to accomplish," Fuuka explained so far.

"So Ike if he were royalty, with a proper army, and if he was more slim. That universe sure has a knack of sword fighters leading their own groups," Akihiko mused.

"I imagine he's quite skilled with his blade," Mitsuru said. "I think we should now proceed to learn his fighting style."

Fuuka nodded as she closed the holographic screen and played a video. Marth was seen in that white room as he quickly slashed at Sandbag. They all noted his fighting style was extremely elegant, sleek, and fast compared to how Ike handled his sword.

"Marth has four special techniques as well. He has the Shield Breaker which is a powerful stabbing technique that can break through defenses easily. He has the Dancing Blade where he can combo you with four consecutive hits from his sword. Next is the Dolphin Slash, which he'll strike upward with his sword, as he leaps into the air. Finally... like Ike, he can Counter with his sword so be careful," Fuuka continued to explain.

Marth raised his right arm, that held his Falchion as he charged up to stab forward hard, for his Shield Breaker on Sandbag. Next he performed his Dancing Blade, as he gave Sandbag four quick consecutive hits with his sword. He then stood near Sandbag and leaped upward, with his blade in front of him, knocking Sandbag forward. Finally, he made a similar defensive pose similar to Ike as he performed his Counter. By this point, they let the video continue rolling to show Marth's Final Smash as he broke a Smash Ball.

"Marth's Final Smash is called Critical Hit. He'll be imbued with incredible strength and speed for one hit from his sword. He'll charge forward, and anyone hit by it will usually be sent flying out of the arena," Fuuka finished.

Even if it didn't come into play, it was still something they would want to know for future reference. Marth broke one, as an intense aura overtook him. He raised his sword to the sky, and with amazing speed, charged and swung his sword at Sandbag, sending it flying. Marth pointed Falchion upwards, as the video ended.

"He can definitely wield a blade with precision," Mitsuru noted. "He'll definitely be a strong opponent. Yamagishi... it's time we learn about Lucina,"

Fuuka nodded as she pulled up an image of the other opponent, that Minato and Mitsuru would be facing off against. They all noted something very peculiar about Lucina when they all saw her.

"She looks like... Marth?" Ken said confused. Just like how Pit and Dark Pit bared a very close resemblance, Lucina to an extent resembled Marth. She wore similar clothes (though she had some different attire as her pants and boots were blue), she had similarly colored blue hair (though it was longer compared to Marth's hair), and she wielded a similar blade. They all noted however that Lucina's sword had a red longer hilt, and the design had a tear shaped hole above the hilt.

"Well if they have two similar fighters with Pit and Dark Pit, having some others who are similar isn't too much of a stretch," Shinjiro stated.

"Can you explain more about Lucina, Fuuka-san?" Aigis asked.

"Let's start with her back story," Yukari added. "I'm pretty curious to see what her connection with Marth is,"

"Lucina is Marth's descendent from the future, from their universe, which is why she looks similar to him. She comes from a future doomed due to the involvement of a cult known as the Grimleal who worship a dragon beast known as Grima. The Grimleal managed to revive Grima, and plunged the future in a doomed state. Lucina was given the chance to travel back in time by the being known as Naga, to meet her father when he was younger and help stop this doomed future. She disguised herself as the Hero King, and served her father and his army to change the future. Ultimately she succeeded," Fuuka explained. They were all taken back by what they just heard. Her accomplishments were just as impressive as her ancestor Marth.

"Gee... sounds like that universe is plagued with dragons who like to cause trouble," Junpei said with a sigh.

"Lucina and Marth... descendant and ancestor fighting in the same competition," Akihiko said. "That's crazy. Is Lucina's sword even the same one as Marth's?"

"Yes. Her sword is Falchion in it's current state, by her time in that universe. It's been reforged over time, which also explains it's slightly different appearance and her version is known as the Parallel Falchion." Fuuka explained as Lucina continued to attack Sandbag with her Parallel Falchion.

"Is her fighting style similar to Marth as well?" Mitsuru asked. Fuuka nodded as she played a video that showcased Lucina's fighting style. It was so similar, it was practically Marth's fighting style. She even had the same special techniques that Marth used. Soon she broke upon a Smash Ball as she stared down Sandbag with glowing eyes.

"Time to change fate!" Lucina exclaimed as she charged forward at Sandbag with her own Critical Hit, and sent Sandbag flying with an extremely powerful swing of her sword. She then placed a blue metal butterfly mask with golden edges, over her face, as the video ended.

"Lucina really admires Marth, due to him being the Hero King and her ancestor. She imitated his appearance for both returning to the past and here at the tournament, and now emulates his fighting style as well. The only real difference is that Marth's Falchion has a sharper tip, and can deal more damage if he strikes with it. Lucina's version isn't as strong but she's still a skilled fighter," Fuuka finished explaining, as the video ended and the lights went on.

"What would you say is Marth and Lucina's weakness, Fuuka-san?" Aigis asked.

"Like Ike they're primarily close range fighters. Plus unlike Ike, they can't use anything like Ike's Eruption so you guys don't have to worry about any elemental attacks. They purely rely on fighting with their blades. Mitsuru sempai and Minato's Personas can be used to attack safely from afar. Just keep your distance and you two should be fine," Fuuka said.

"Thank you Yamagishi," Mitsuru said with a smile. "We should probably go over the Coliseum arena now."

Soon a video came on, as the lights went off again showcasing the new arena. It was a huge coliseum that had statues of dragons and lit torches in the background. The audience seats were all empty though, as dusty winds passed by. What was also notable was that some of the ground began to raise at different intervals, as chains and gears raised and dropped the platforms at times. Otherwise it didn't seem you could fall into any holes, so that was a safe relief in that sense.

"Looks pretty normal aside from the raising platforms. At least no light fixtures are present to fall on you," Junpei said.

"Surprised they allowed that and replaced them so fast during that match. Then again this is Smash Bros," Shinjiro said, as he accepted the chaotic craziness of the fights they've seen so far, as he referred to Minato's match against Little Mac.

"Still... I can't but help but feel concerned about those Assist Trophies we heard about earlier," Yukari said with a bit of dread. "Seems like they're a big random factor we're not going to know about till the actual fight,"

They all felt a sense of tension once more. It was true. Aside from that one Assist Trophy they saw, they wouldn't be able to learn about any of the others till the actual fight. Who or what would they get, and what effect would they have on the fight? It also didn't help they didn't get to interview Marth and Lucina, like Ike.

"Regardless if they get Assist Trophies or not, knowing Mitsuru... she's ready to show those two what an execution is. Isn't that right?" Akihiko teased and encouraged. Mitsuru smirked calmly back at Akihiko. Minato had a confident smirk on his face as well. If he made it this far, these two couldn't be that bad. Plus they themselves could always grab an Assist Trophy before their opponents.

* * *

The days came by as Mitsuru and Minato faced off with their own blades. Sandbag also got to take a taste of Mitsuru's chilling executions far more often as usual as well. Soon came May 8th as Minato along with Mitsuru and Fuuka as well waited in their hallway to be picked up. The other members of SEES waited in their conference room, ready to watch once more. Who they didn't expect to see, came by to visit.

"Hiya guys! Good luck against Marth and Lucina!" Pit said happily, while Dark Pit actually looked a bit annoyed.

"Yeah... good luck," Dark Pit grumbled back reluctantly.

"Are you okay?" Fuuka asked, feeling concerned for the dark angel. Dark Pit sighed as he looked away unsure to respond or not to her concerned question. While Fuuka was one of his new friends that he appreciated, and loved how Fuuka was extremely nice, he wasn't sure explaining why he felt this way at this moment, was the best thing to do.

"Oh ignore Pittoo. He has a crush on Lucina, that's all. That's why he's a bit grumpy today," Pit said with a cheeky smile. Dark Pit immediately glared back at Pit, as his mouth was at a loss.

"I do not have a crush on Lucina!" Dark Pit yelled back. "I don't get what made you think that, you pit hole!"

"What about the fact you hang out with her so much?" Pit teased with a smile. Dark Pit was now fuming, and soon he dragged Pit away, as the two left the hallway and into the elevator with Dark Pit screaming insults at Pit. Minato, Fuuka, and Mitsuru stared blankly at where the two just was before sighing.

"Those two and their antics with each other," Minato said with another sigh. They waited till it was 2:50 PM and soon the elevator door came open, as Marth and Lucina emerged. They both respectfully shook hands with the three, as they all introduced each other. The members of SEES introduced themselves to the two, and then Marth and Lucina did so as well.

"My name is Marth. Pleased to make your acquaintance," Marth said gently as he shook hands with Minato, Fuuka, and Mitsuru.

"I'm Lucina. Best of luck in today's battle," Lucina said seriously, as she shook hands with the three. Both Lucina and Marth couldn't help but stare at Minato. He somewhat resembled the Hero King with his own pretty face and blue hair. "Minato... you kind of resemble Marth now that I have a good look at you."

"What can I say? Blue is a cool color," Minato said back calmly. Everyone smiled at the thought, as they all got onto an elevator. Marth and Lucina were very easygoing as the five had some calm casual discussions on the way towards the teleportation room. Soon they arrived at the teleportation room, with chairman Golden there. Golden worked the tablet and set the arena up and conditions up.

"Well, here we go. Ms. Kirijo and Mr Arisato, are you two ready to face off against Marth and Lucina?" Golden asked. Both nodded. "Alright then. May the best team win,"

Minato, Mitsuru, Marth, Lucina, and Fuuka all stood on separate teleportation devices in the room, as they all soon arrived at the coliseum. It served as a stark contrast from the Boxing Ring which was lively, while the Coliseum was filled with silence aside from the dusty wind blowing during a sunny day with blue skies. Minato and Marth were facing each other, while Mitsuru and Lucina faced each other. Fuuka was now using her Persona Juno, as she surveyed the area. It felt very lonely compared to the other arenas.

"Welcome to our special guests watching! Will Marth and Lucina showcase their brilliant swordplay enough to win? Or will Minato and Mitsuru be the ones with the victorious blades? Let's find out! Three... two... one, **GO!**" the announcer once again announced.

_*** Conquest (Ablaze) ***_

Mitsuru immediately took out her rapier, as Lucina charged at her with her Parallel Falchion. The sound of clashing metal could be heard, as both fenced at each other. Minato soon found himself doing the same to Marth, as he wielded his one handed sword as it clashed against Marth's Falchion. Soon the four heard a rumble begin to shake under the ground beneath them.

"The platforms are beginning to raise!" Fuuka said to both Mitsuru and Minato. They acknowledged this, as both decided to leap off and landed on the ground that wasn't raised while Marth and Lucina were raised upwards. Both quickly took out their Evokers and pointed it at their heads while Marth and Lucina found themselves staring in confusion

"What manner of sorcery is that!?" Lucina yelled as both Minato and Mitsuru summoned a Persona. Minato summoned Jack Frost while Mitsuru summoned Artemisia. Marth couldn't help but be surprised as well, as it was definitely out there.

"Bufu!" both Minato and Mitsuru yelled out, as their respective Personas sent blasts of ice at Marth and Lucina. Marth and Lucina both gracefully dodged the ice, by either ducking or leaping over the chilly projectiles. As soon as the two Personas were gone, the raised platforms began to drop down elevating the playing field. Both Marth and Lucina ran after their opponent once more. Minato and Mitsuru put up their Smash shields. Seeing this both Marth and Lucina began charging for a Shield Breaker.

"Now Minato and Mitsuru sempai!" Fuuka told both. Both immediately dropped it, as they leaped and dodged their Shield Breaker stabs, and then slammed their own swords into them, knocking both to the center of the ring, knocked on the ground. Like any tactic, if they could bait them to using the right ones, they be able to strike back. It was similar to what Yukari did to Pit, against his Guardian Orbitars when she claimed she fire an arrow at him, leaving the angel exposed to a hit from a bludgeon hammer from above.

"Very clever of them. Stay on guard Lucina," Marth whispered to Lucina, as both blue haired relatives stood up. Lucina nodded as she drew her sword once more.

"How about we switch Marth? I'll go after Minato, while you get Mitsuru?" Lucina whispered as Marth nodded back in response. Both faced who they were facing before, and then as both Minato and Mitsuru closed in, they both ran in opposite directions. This caught the two Persona users off guard as both received a Dancing Blade combo, knocking both to the side. Both immediately got back up as both blue haired fighters, charged for them. The clashing of metal could be heard once more, as both teams were relentless in their assault. Minato and Mitsuru guarded against Lucina and Marth's sword blows and made sure to try to fight back only for their hits to be parried as well. Fuuka then relayed new information to her friends, as something new happened

"Minato! Mitsuru sempai! An Assist Trophy just appeared!" Fuuka relayed to them as a thunk was heard as an Assist Trophy dropped onto the middle of the field. Minato seeing this, immediately made a run, as he dodge rolled away from Lucina's sword strikes. He picked it up, raised it over his head, and out came...

"Starfy!?" both Marth and Lucina exclaimed.

Starfy appeared to be a very cute, small, and adorable yellow starfish (or is he a living star?) like creature, with big blue eyes, and pink blushes under them as it happily waved to everyone. Everyone stopped to stare blankly at Starfy, while Minato, Mitsuru, and Fuuka wondered who Starfy was exactly. Fuuka couldn't deny how cute Starfy was though and loved the precious smile he had, as she felt a smile appear on her face. Starfy ran towards Lucina as he tried to use his Star Spin attack on her.

"I'm sorry little guy, but this isn't personal and I want to win," Lucina said with a guilty face as she felt bad for what she was about to do. She did a stance for a Counter, just as Starfy used his Star Spin attack into her, and she sent the poor starfish flying towards Marth. Starfy looked like he was going to cry, as he got off the ground but he shook his tears away as he looked towards Marth and tried to use another Star Spin attack. Fuuka felt really bad for the little guy as it seemed he really wanted to help out and only got hurt instead. Marth cringed as he felt bad for what he was about to do.

"I really don't want to do this but I have to. Sorry Starfy," Marth said quietly, as he used his own Counter, and sent Starfy to the middle of the arena. The poor guy looked like he was going to cry of tears again, but he didn't give up as this time he ran towards Lucina with another Star Spin attack

"I have an idea Minato. While Lucina is distracted with Starfy, you can do something to catch her off guard in the mean time," Fuuka relayed to Minato. The blue haired teen nodded as he decided to take advantage of the opportunity, as he saw Lucina readying another Counter. He took out his Evoker once more, with Minato focusing on Lucina, as he had an idea to help out Starfy.

"Jack Frost! Bufu the ground Lucina is standing on!" Minato ordered as the snow spirit showed up again. Lucina hearing this had a shocked expression as she was about to Counter Starfy, but felt the ground she was standing on turning frozen as Jack Frost blasted ice at it. She tried to keep her balance but ended up comically tripping and falling on her behind. Starfy managed to have no problems with the ice, as he used his spinning attack and smacked into Lucina for some minor damage. Starfy then waved to Minato with a big happy grin, as the starfish was really happy to be of use. Minato waved back, as the starfish teleported away.

"Well I'm glad that worked out," Mitsuru said with a smile. Suddenly the ground beneath Minato and Mitsuru began to raise, as they now stood on the raised platforms. Both jumped off but were knocked back onto the raised platforms, as both Lucina and Marth performed a Dolphin Slash.

"Smart trick Marth Junior," Lucina teased at Minato due to his appearance. "But playtime is over!"

Lucina carefully approached Minato as both wielded their swords. Marth did the same to Mitsuru, as both were being cautious with their weapons. The four wondered if another stalemate was just going to occur as they all seemed evenly matched in using their blades. Suddenly another Assist Trophy appeared right nearby Marth and Mitsuru. Marth immediately grabbed Mitsuru and threw her upwards into the air, as he ran to grab the Assist Trophy. He raised it over his head and got...

"Wa ha ha!" shouted a lanky man wearing a purple shirt, and purple hat with an upside down yellow L, white gloves, brown shoes and black overalls. He had a big pink nose, a mustache that practically yelled dastardly, and somewhat pointy ears. He held a tennis racket and he was not afraid to use it to play tennis with the fighters.

"Waluigi?" Lucina said with a cringed look on her face. Marth shrugged as he pointed at Mitsuru who was now back on the ground. The thin lanky man nodded as he slowly approached Mitsuru with his tennis racket menacingly. Mitsuru quickly pulled out her Evoker and used it, as she decided to test a strategy that Fuuka discussed with her.

"Artemisia! Marin Karin!" Mitsuru quickly ordered as she pointed at Waluigi. Her Persona did as ordered, and soon the thin lanky man was under it's spell. Waluigi then looked back at Marth with a crazed expression as Marth was really concerned with what just happened. Soon Waluigi ran right up to Marth and began kicking at the Hero King, and with the smack of a powerful tennis swing, Marth was soon flying towards Lucina's direction, knocking both off the raised platforms. The lanky man laughed evilly once more, before he teleported away. The raised platforms then all descended as everything was on a ground level again.

"Great job Mitsuru sempai!" Fuuka said happily.

"Thank you Yamagishi. Turning an opponent's Assist Trophy against them was a very smart move," Mitsuru praised, as Fuuka grinned. Lucina got off the ground with a exasperated look on her face, as she helped her ancestor Marth off the ground.

"Such power they wield. We must knock away those summoning devices," Marth stated.

"I agree with that. It seems to be their trump cards," Lucina said in frustration. "We have got to get in close, or somehow distract them,"

Suddenly she heard the sound of a thud, land right behind her. She looked and saw that another Assist Trophy has appeared. Marth looked towards her with a nod as she sighed and hoped she got one she wanted. She quickly picked it up, raised the Assist Trophy and out came...

"Nightmare!? **REALLY!**" Lucina exclaimed, in a frustrated tone. A spherical dark orb covered in stars appeared as it moved towards the background of the arena. Everyone stopped to stare at it. Minato, Mitsuru, and Fuuka could surmise from Lucina's reaction, that this Assist Trophy was not going to be very assisting to anyone. The dark orb then turned into a huge wizard like man who wore black sunglasses, a blue purple cloak with stars, and his body seemed to be made of darkness. A sinister laugh filled the air, as Nightmare soon turned the whole arena dark, despite the sun being out.

"Minato! Mitsuru sempai! Try to use attacks that will cover the whole area!" Fuuka told them, as she figured such attacks should still be able to hit their opponents. Marth and Lucina bumbled about frustrated as they couldn't see while, Minato and Mitsuru stayed calm as they took out their Evokers once more, and summoned their icy capable Persona's once more.

"This is not the future I wanted!" Lucina yelled out in frustration as she still couldn't see anything. She was starting to lose her cool, but she tried to take deep breaths to calm down. Suddenly she felt the air around her chill as she was confused. Then realization literally hit her, as she along with Marth in the darkness were blasted with ice and snow. Soon the darkness went away as Marth and Lucina looked particularly frigid.

"This... is so not cool," Lucina said annoyed, as she shivered, as she shook snow and ice off herself.

"I suggest we focus our efforts on taking one out. Let's overwhelm one of them," Marth shouted to Lucina. She nodded, and immediately pointed at Minato who gulped. Mitsuru cringed as their opponents choosing to double team one of them, was not something they anticipated.

"Let's take Minato out first then!" Lucina said, as both her and her ancestor ran towards Minato, with their swords drawn. Minato immediately raised his own sword as he blocked Lucina's strike. But then Marth managed to grab the blue haired teen right after and began to knee him. He then threw him towards Lucina who grabbed him and began to knee him as well. Marth slowly walked up to them, as he had the idea to use a Shield Breaker to send Minato flying out of the Coliseum, with Lucina holding Minato, giving him the perfect opportunity to do so.

"Mitsuru sempai, you have to act fast or Minato is done!" Fuuka said really concerned, as she cringed seeing Minato hurt like that. Mitsuru nodded quickly and nervously as she quickly pulled out her own Evoker once more. Suddenly she saw an Assist Trophy appear in front of her. She wondered if that was really the best move, considering who or what could possibly emerge. Still she decided to go pick it up and raise it, as it was better the opposing team didn't get it. Soon who emerged was...

"It's Dillon!" Lucina shouted, as she stopped kneeing Minato as she saw the Assist Trophy. Minato taking this chance, quickly kicked at her, knocking Lucina to the ground as he dodged Marth's blade and quickly regrouped with Mitsuru. In front of them stood what appeared to be a humanoid armadillo, who had a red shell with ridges, wore a brown cowboy hat, a blue scarf with a yellow checker design, brown boots, black gloves with three bronze metal claws at the end. He wore a black belt with a silver belt circular buckle, and two brown satchels also on it. He was a pretty sleek wearing cowboy to say the least.

Dillon looked at Minato and Mitsuru and simply nodded. He was a quiet cowboy armadillo of extremely few words. The quiet armadillo then turned to face Lucina and Marth who were feeling quite nervous. They both recalled painful moments whenever they got hit hard by this cowboy armadillo in past matches. Dillon curled up into a ball and quickly rammed into them both like a wrecking pinball, as they cried out in pain. He soon curled up again and they tried to use their Counter technique, but Dillon was too fast as he slammed into both once more, causing them to yelp in pain. Both Marth and Lucina immediately put their Smash shields up. Dillon seeing this, curled into a ball once again and decided to bounce between the two as a pinball and soon both their shields were broken as both Marth and Lucina were dizzy. Dillon calmly grabbed Marth and placed him nearby Lucina as both were still too dizzy to do anything. Soon he began one last roll as he curled into a ball once more, and really began to charge his ultimate attack called the Arma-Charge. He rolled extremely fast and and slammed into both like a wrecking ball once more, and soon both Lucina and Marth were sent flying and screaming out of the Coliseum as both were soon starry twinkles in the blue sky.

"Thank you so much... Dillon," Mitsuru said with gratitude. Minato nodded in agreement as they both stared at the cowboy armadillo with a smile. Dillon looked towards Minato and Mitsuru once more as he nodded and tipped his hat to show he heard what they said, and to show his thanks. He soon teleported away as the match was over.

"**GAME!**" The announcer shouted. Minato and Mitsuru shook hands at the Coliseum, as the dusty winds continued to pass by.

"Thank you Mitsuru sempai," Minato said gently.

"No problem Arisato. You know what they say, two in harmony surpasses one in perfection." Mitsuru replied back with a smile. "Though I guess it's more then two considering the assistance we received. Yamagishi as always, and to Starfy and Dillon as well,"

"Thank you Mitsuru sempai. I always want to be able to help you all," Fuuka said happily. Minato and Mitsuru smiled once more, at hearing Fuuka's happy expression, as the three began to be teleported back to Smash Tower. Fuuka also wanted to thank Starfy and Dillon herself as well, for their assistance. She would have to ask Pit about that when she got the chance, to see if she and the other members of SEES could meet them in the future.

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**So that's a wrap for Chapter 9 and the fourth of The Master's orders. Notes as always.  
**

**1\. I figure if you were threatened to be turned into a trophy, and you learned about something called an Assist Trophy, you be concerned. Understandably so.**

**2\. Who are the three elite bodyguards for the chairmen? I wonder... this won't be relevant for a long while though but food for though.  
**

**3\. That video they watched earlier indeed references the Battlefield stage (which has been in every Smash Bros game), and the Villager character in Smash 3DS/Wii U.**

**4\. All the Assist Trophies are based off the ones in the new game as well. **

**5\. Minato does bare some similarity to Marth a bit. I figure I poke fun at that. Granted, a lot of young slim blue haired anime pretty boys fits that I guess.**

**6\. The Coliseum stage is only in the Wii U version of Smash Bros. **

**7\. Dark Pit and Lucina are apparently a popular paring sort of. Figure I tease it a bit.**

**8\. Fuuka thinking of Minato as a prince references the wedding event in Persona Q where if they both get married, and she can say that depending on your dialogue choices. Such a cute couple and wedding. Keep in mind, the members of SEES don't recall the events of Persona Q due to the ending... at least not at the moment.  
**

**9\. Starfy... no one knows for sure if he's a living star or a starfish as his trophy suggests. I say starfish personally but you never know with Nintendo. Maybe he's both?**

**10\. That saying that Mitsuru says at the end, references the Kirijo Group's motto in Persona 3. Though I guess in this case, it be three Persona users, and two Assist Trophies. **

**Anyway I think that about wraps it up. Please don't be afraid to post your thoughts, opinions, or anything you want to point out. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and till next time!**


	10. Assisting Breakfast

**Chapter 10 is finally here. More of a calm chapter before we get back on track for the next order. Let's proceed shall we? I hope you're all enjoying the story so far. As always if you guys have anything you want to discuss, say, or comment about, don't be afraid to do so. I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Everyone was back in the teleportation room, as the match between the swordsmen all concluded. Minato, Mitsuru, and Fuuka were now together as the three shared a hug, while Marth and Lucina looked exhausted. Lucina in particular looked pretty frustrated as her expression showed her grinding her teeth.

"Man. My luck with the Assist Trophies is always terrible," Lucina mumbled annoyed. Marth placed a hand on his descendant's left shoulder, to try to comfort her. "I know. It's what it is,"

"Congratulations to Mr. Arisato and Ms Kirijo on your victory," Golden the yellow chairman said as he began to clap. Before he could continue to say anything more, two more people entered the room.

"Who won!?" Pit shouted, catching everyone off guard. Dark Pit was right behind as he looked towards Lucina and Marth's direction and noted how beat up they looked.

"I think... Minato and Mitsuru won," Dark Pit answered with a sigh. He walked over to the Persona users to congratulate them and showed he had no ill will towards them, even if he preferred a certain female blue haired warrior and her ancestor winning instead. He then walked over to Marth and Lucina and told them how they still did their best.

"Thank you," Marth said respectfully, as Dark Pit nodded. Dark Pit respected Marth due to his maturity and got along with him fairly well.

"Thanks Dark Pit," Lucina said with a smile causing Dark Pit to look away with some red on his face. "Well I'm beat. I'm going to head to the hot springs to relax and warm up. Guess Marth and I will get going,"

As both Marth and Lucina walked away, Pit shouted something to them that definitely caught their attention along with his dark counterpart.

"Lucina! Pittoo told me in the past, he would like to join you in the hot springs!" Pit shouted with a mischievous smile. Dark Pit immediately blushed and scowled, as his mouth was at a loss for words. Minato, Fuuka, and Mitsuru stared blankly at the scene, unsure of how to react. Golden looked away, while Marth began to whistle, as he decided it was not his place to comment, while Lucina had a smile on her face.

"Sure. I have no problem with that. We can chill at the unisex spring. You up for that?" Lucina asked, as she apparently didn't pick up on the fact that Dark Pit might have liked her, in a deeper way. Dark Pit's face was now on fire as he wasn't sure how to respond. He then finally managed to nod back to Lucina, as she then left with Marth with a smile. Dark Pit looked toward Pit with a frustrated and awkward expression, before he decided to chase after Marth and Lucina, feeling embarrassed of what just happened.

"...Anyway, let me just stamp your ticket so I can get going," Golden said feeling awkward from what he just saw, as he took out his black ink stamp. Minato pulled out his yellow order ticket, and it soon was stamped with a black Smash Bros symbol, to show it had been completed. "I'll be back in the chairmen's office, if anyone needs me. Later,"

Golden began to walk away, while everyone else remaining in the room regrouped. Pit shook hands with Minato, Fuuka, and Mitsuru, and then shared a group hug with the three as well.

"Great job guys! Also Minato is now another step closer to becoming a member of Super Smash Bros!" Pit praised excitedly. Minato shrugged as he was technically still working for the exact opposite of what Pit said, but still acknowledged what he said.

"Can I ask you something?" Fuuka asked.

"Sure. Never be afraid to ask me anything Fuuka. What is it?" Pit answered back, with a smile.

"Well... you know about the Assist Trophies right?" Fuuka asked. Pit nodded back in response. "I was wondering... if we can meet them in the future? I really like to give thanks to Starfy and Dillon who we met today,"

"Oh yeah. I heard about that. About Minato and Mitsuru's match having the Assist Trophies involved today. Sure no problem. I'll speak with the chairmen if that's allowed for you guys to meet them, and let you guys know by tomorrow morning, when you guys have your usual morning meetings at your conference room." Pit replied happily. "Well I better be off. I'm going to go check on Pittoo and see how he's doing with Lucina at the hot springs,"

Pit left the room and soon Minato, Fuuka, and Mitsuru were the only ones left. Minato took the time to stretch as he still felt the pain, when Lucina and Marth were both kneeing him.

"Pit and Dark Pit... besides acting like Iori and Takeba when they're together, it reminds me of Akihiko and Shinjiro's interaction," Mitsuru mused. "Then again, I suppose that can be said for any companions who argue a lot. Back to business... we should regroup with the others back on our floor,"

Minato and Fuuka nodded, as they headed back and took the elevator with Mitsuru. Soon they were back on their own floor, as they headed to their own conference room to meet up with the rest of SEES.

"Way to go! Minato, Fuuka, and Mitsuru sempai! You three rocked Marth and Lucina's world!" Junpei said with much enthusiasm.

"Great job. Nice quick thinking Mitsuru sempai, saving Minato at the end by summoning that cowboy with the Assist Trophy," Yukari praised.

"Summoning that cowboy armadillo was so awesome!" Ken said "His name was Dillon right?"

"His name was Dillon according to Lucina. Also the starfish's name was Starfy according to both her and Marth," Aigis stated. "Congrats to you three for your performance as well,"

"A starfish and a cowboy armadillo. At this point, I'm not surprised anymore by what I've seen here," Shinjirio noted. "Great job though. You three did good,"

"Sure showed them. Gave them the cold taste of defeat. Smart play with the ice during the darkness moment," Akihiko praised.

"Thanks to you all. I appreciate your thanks," Mitsuru said.

"Thank you all," Fuuka said happily. "I was wondering... could we all go meet Starfy and Dillon tomorrow possibly?"

The rest of SEES except Mitsuru and Minato were surprised by what they just heard. This was definitely a question they didn't expect.

"But... are we allowed to even see them?" Akihiko questioned. "I'm not against the idea, but wouldn't we need permission from those chairmen?"

"Plus they haven't granted us the request to go outside yet. I don't know if they'll let us see those two," Junpei added.

"I asked Pit about it. He said he wouldn't mind asking the chairmen about it for us." Fuuka explained. "I... I really want to thank Starfy and Dillon. I didn't get the chance to meet them myself yet,"

"I don't see the harm in the idea." Minato stated. "We get to meet more people who are part of the competition in some way as well. In this case... assistants who help out or effect the battles in some way,"

"Well... okay. But I'm a bit concerned about meeting that tall lanky guy with the tennis racket," Yukari said. "Or that dark wizard that caused the whole arena to go dark. Definitely don't want to get on those guy's bad side."

"I believe they were referred to as Waluigi and Nightmare respectively," Aigis stated. "We have seen some of the Assist Trophies so far. We may meet more in the future as well,"

"I wouldn't mind. I want to meet Starfy and Dillon as well," Ken piped in, as Koromaru barked in agreement. "Plus the day after each fight that Minato sempai has had, we all take a day off to rest and relax anyway. We can definitely meet them tomorrow,"

"Then it's decided. Pit said he would meet up with us tomorrow morning to see if we can. Till then, let's all head off for dinner and enjoy the rest of the night," Mitsuru said. They all agreed as they headed to the cafeteria. Fuuka and Minato later stopped by one of the specialty candy stores in Smash Tower, as Fuuka wanted to buy treats for both Starfy and Dillon to show her thanks as well.

* * *

May 8th soon passed and it was now the Saturday of May 9th in the morning, as they were all in their conference room once again. Soon Pit came into the room though, he had what appeared to be a white ice bag on his head.

"What's with the ice bag, Pit?" Yukari asked with raised eyebrows.

"I shouldn't have disturbed Pittoo when he was with Lucina at the hot springs," Pit whined. Everyone else just felt embarrassed from what they just heard and understood the implications, but at this point have come to expect such moments from Pit. Pit removed it off his head for now, as he didn't want to continue feeling even more embarrassed and decided to put it on later. "Well anyway... so I asked the chairmen, and they said it was fine in the end. You guys can meet the Assist Trophies today. They have their own floors and stuff. Why don't we head to the cafeteria they all hang at right now?"

The members of SEES all agreed to Pit's idea. Soon they followed Pit as they headed down the elevator and took it to a floor, none of them have been to. As they soon approached the cafeteria doors that had words "Assist trophy Cafeteria," labeled, Pit stopped as he decided to tell them all something.

"Oh yeah... I want to let you guys know... you may see some very... particular individuals and... things when you walk inside," Pit said.

"We've met you and your dark clone who are angels, a leader of his own mercenary group that wields a holy sword that can unleash blue fire, a boxer who beat a gorilla in a boxing match, and a girl and her ancestor who both wield the same blade and fought an evil dragon so far. Who or what can be so out there, that we haven't seen?" Junpei asked, though a part of himself was mentally preparing himself. Pit simply sighed, as he had to admit those were fair points.

"Whoever or whatever we meet, we'll be ready for Pit," Akihiko said confidently.

"Alright but don't say I didn't warn you guys. Let's see who's inside their cafeteria," Pit said as he opened the doors and kept them open. However as they all entered, something became very apparent. It was... empty barring the chefs inside.

"Umm... where is everybody?" Yukari asked. Pit rubbed his eyes to make sure he was seeing things correctly, as he comically began looking and searching around the cafeteria, before he went back to them, with a confused expression.

"That's... a good question Yukari," Pit answered back embarrassed. "I don't understand. Someone... any of the Assist Trophy members should be here. What gives?"

Pit walked around once more to take another look around, while the members of SEES walked in. As they walked in, they closed the doors, and the members of SEES noticed a note, that could only be seen on the other side of the door they entered through. Minato slowly walked up to it and began to take a look at it.

"Hey Pit. You should come over here and take a look at this," Minato said, as the angel walked back to him and grabbed the note off the wall. Pit began to pace around and began to read it out loud, so everyone can know the contents of what was in it.

"Dear members of SEES. If you were wondering where all the Assist Trophies are, we invited them to have a picnic in Central Park today, for a private event just for them. My brothers and I came up with it last night after a certain angel came to us, asking if you can see them. So sorry if you guys didn't see anyone if everyone attended. From the chairmen. PS-Pit if you're reading this, stop being such a gullible goofball," Pit finished reading. Pit felt embarrassed as the members of SEES stared at him with either frustrated or concerned looks. "Did... did I just get owned?"

"Forget it Pit. Just forget it," Minato said apathetically as he looked away, unsure how to feel about the situation. Pit just sighed from embarrassment, while Fuuka tried to comfort the angel. Suddenly the doors to the cafeteria opened, as someone the members of SEES have never seen before entered. She wore a green checkered vest with a white top and red ribbon, with a navy blue skirt underneath. She wore green outdoor slippers, a black wristwatch on her right arm, and some of her blonde hair was tied up with a red ribbon with bells attached to them. What was most particular was that she was what appeared to be a humanoid dog, that had a white fur patch on her yellow tail, and around her mouth, otherwise she had yellow fur. Koromaru in particular couldn't help but stare at the new girl with a lot of curiosity.

"Hi Pit!" The girl said in a peppy state. "I didn't expect to see you and... a lot of new people I've never seen before."

"Oh hey Isabelle!" Pit said happily back, as he was glad this wasn't a total bust. He was also relieved to talk to Isabelle for an important question he would address, when the members of SEES weren't with him. This question related to something he heard occurred during the Boxing Ring match, from Yukari and Junpei a while back. "I just found out you were all invited to Central Park for a picnic, so I'm surprised to see you're still here."

"Well I was thinking about going, but I heard Mr. Mayor was having a match later today, so I wanted to stay and watch," Isabelle replied back. Suddenly she felt bad, as she had an embarrassed expression come up on her face. "I'm so sorry! That was rude of me not to properly introduce myself before to all your new friends Pit. I'm Isabelle. Nice to meet you all!"

The members of SEES all greeted her back and introduced themselves to her. Pit looked over to Isabelle and then to Fuuka, as he decided to say something, to catch everyone's attention.

"Isabelle and Fuuka are very similar to each other," Pit mused. Both Fuuka and Isabelle looked at each other curiously as Pit said this. "You both are very sweet, selfless, and always want to make those around you happy. You two would get along very well as good friends here at Smash Tower,"

"Well I would have been happy to be friends with her regardless!" Both Isabelle and Fuuka said happily at the same time, catching themselves and everyone else off guard.

"Wow. Pit was spot on with his assessment," Akihiko said, both impressed and surprised Pit managed to say something not questionable for once.

"Fuuka-san and Isabelle definitely do have similar personalities from what I just saw," Aigis stated with a smile. "I am fine with that, since I know Fuuka-san is a very kind individual, and I can trust Isabelle to be the same,"

"Do you mind if we ask you some questions, Isabelle?" Mitsuru asked. Isabelle nodded, seeing no issues with such a thing. "First what assistance do you provide during battles if you're summoned from an Assist Trophy?"

"I throw fruit towards the fighter who summoned me and they can eat it to restore health during the battle. I assist purely in a non violent way and I can't be harmed. That's what I do for my assistance," Isabelle said happily back.

"That's nice of you Isabelle. I wish Yuka-tan would throw fruit at me, for me to eat," Junpei joked. Yukari rolled her eyes at what she just heard, but decided not to reply back, about how she wouldn't mind pelting him with fruit instead, due to the presence of Isabelle being there.

"That's a kind gesture Isabelle," Shinjiro said with a smile. "So for our second question... would you mind talking about who Mr. Mayor is? You mentioned him being the reason you didn't go to your event in Central Park,"

Isabelle looked towards Pit, to see if that was alright. Pit nodded, as seeing how he got called a gullible goofball by the chairmen, he wasn't exactly in the mood to cooperate with them at the moment, to not let this information slip.

"Mr. Mayor is one of the new fighters who joined here, during the most recent tournament. I'm actually normally his secretary helping him out when we're both in our own town, helping to run and manage it. I always love to see Mr. Mayor fight when I'm not busy assisting others," Isabelle replied.

"I see. Can we ask you one last thing? Were you... forced to be a part of this?" Akihiko asked. Isabelle had a confused expression on her face, from hearing this as she wasn't sure what Akihiko meant. "I mean they asked you to sign a contract to be an Assist Trophy, right?"

"Well... yes. I do remember that. When Mr. Mayor was asked to join this competition, they also asked me to become an Assist Trophy as well. I signed a contract and that was it," Isabelle answered. "Why do you ask?"

"We're just kind of curious. Do you know if anyone ever refused being an Assist Trophy?" Ken asked back.

"From what I know... no." Isabelle answered. "I think every Assist Trophy all agreed to take part in this competition, when they were asked,"

"How would you feel if someone were asked to be an Assist Trophy, but refused the position?" Yukari asked.

"Well... if anyone or anything ever did refuse to become an Assist Trophy, I think they should be allowed to not join if that's their decision. Everyone has a right to choose for themselves if they want to be a part of something or not. I would never like forcing someone to do something they didn't want to do," Isabelle answered back. The rest of SEES nodded back happily, while Pit thought it was a bit of a weird question to ask, but agreed with Isabelle's response regardless. "Would you all like to share some breakfast together? I was going to get some pancakes."

All the members of SEES and Pit agreed, seeing no reason to deny. Soon they all got food and sat down together at one of the empty tables. Isabelle was so happy to have made many new friends, as they found themselves discussing many things. Fuuka in particular was really happy to meet another person, who had such a similar personality to her as well. As they call ate and discussed, suddenly another person was seen walking in. One they all recognized as Starfy, the cute little yellow starfish that helped out during yesterday's battle.

"Hey Starfy! What brings you here little guy?" Pit asked. Starfy walked up to them and had a big smile. Isabelle in particular, picked him up and hugged the little starfish with a smile, as Starfy whispered his explanation into Isabelle's ear. He was a little shy with all these people, some he never saw before around him.

"Starfy wanted to go to the picnic, but he made a promise to his friend Kirby, he hang out with him today at the indoor park, beforehand and didn't want to disappoint him," Isabelle explained.

"Who's Kirby?" Ken asked, as that was another unfamiliar name, the members of SEES did not know about. This tower was just full of people they have still yet to meet, due to the restrictions placed on them due to the chairmen and their Master.

"He's another fighter who's part of Super Smash Bros," Pit answered. "He's actually been a fighter here since the first tournament, so he's a bit of a veteran at this compared to someone like me."

"Oh. How does he fight?" Aigis asked. Pit was about to answer... then he realized that might have been going to far, as he decided to clam his mouth up, and consider thinking it over for once.

"Sorry. That might be too much detail. I already let you guys know about... Mr. Mayor so... yeah. That's something you guys might find out on your own though," Pit answered back. "Anyway... getting back on topic... Starfy! All these friends of mine came here to see you!"

Starfy looked over to the members of SEES.. They all flashed him a friendly smile, and he definitely remembered Minato and Mitsuru. Isabelle placed the small guy on the table, as he made his way to each member and happily shook their hand (or in Koromaru's case, paw), as they all introduced themselves. Minato and Mitsuru's case being reintroducing, as he had seen them yesterday.

"Thank you so much Starfy, for helping out Minato and Mitsuru sempai yesterday. Your effort is very much appreciated," Fuuka said happily, as she gave Starfy some fruit candy she bought from one of the candy stores in Smash Tower yesterday. Starfy accepted the gift happily, as he placed the candy into his mouth and his cheeks really went red with happiness. He then walked back to Isabelle who held the little guy again. Suddenly one more person finally entered the cafeteria catching all their attention once more. It was Dillon, the quiet cowboy armadillo. He stopped to look at them all, as he simply nodded towards their direction. In particular, he noted Minato and Mitsuru, due to seeing them the previous day. He walked to the chefs and began to point at the menu items he wanted as he stood, facing the chefs.

"Dillon..." Isabelle said quietly concerned. They all turned to face Isabelle as she had a concerned expression. "Sorry. I'm just concerned for him. He's always ... aloof compared to a lot of the other Assist Trophies,"

"He's fine Isabelle. I hear he's always quiet like that. Rarely talks as I think you know by now, and from what I heard from one of his friends from his world," Pit said carefully to the others, to make sure Dillon wouldn't hear him. "He probably needs his own quiet time. It's not too surprising he probably chose to not go to the picnic as well even if he wasn't busy,"

Dillon soon had a tray full of fried eggs and steak, along with a cowboy themed coffee mug with hot black coffee inside it, as he decided to sit next to Isabelle who still held Starfy who smiled at seeing Dillon, upon seeing the armadillo sit with them. Isabelle nodded towards him once more with a concerned smile, while Dillon did the same as he quietly began to eat his breakfast, as he began to cut his steak into pieces with a metal fork and knife. The members of SEES were silent, as they weren't sure how to start talking to someone who apparently barely talked to begin with. Pit seeing this decided to take the initiative, though he gulped as Dillon wasn't exactly the easiest person... err... armadillo to approach.

"So Dillon... would you mind if my friends asked you some questions or said some things to you?" Pit asked with a bit of unease. Dillon slowly looked towards Pit, as the angel couldn't help but smile awkwardly. Pit knew Dillon was a pretty serious fellow, and despite Dillon's kindness, he was still someone he didn't want to risk getting on his bad side, as Pit feared his strong and brutal fighting style (those bronze claws Dillon had, looked real sharp and were not for show as Dillon was quite skilled using them when he was fighting in his own world, and being rolled into from Dillon, hurt real bad from Pit's personal experience). Dillon gave him a friendly nod, causing Pit to sigh in relief, as Dillon eyed the members of SEES, and found himself staring at Junpei first.

"Hey. Just want to say thanks for helping Minato and Mitsuru sempai. Must be cool to be a cowboy," Junpei said with both praise and a bit of unease himself as Dillon looked seriously at him. "Why don't you go next Yuka-tan?"

"Sure... Junpei," Yukari said with an annoyed and concerned expression at her baseball cap wearing friend, disliking how Junpei put her on the spot like that, as Dillon shifted his attention towards her, as she tried to come up with something to say. "So thank you Dillon for assisting Minato and Mitsuru sempai. Do you have any... nicknames?"

"Dillon does have a nickname. The Red Flash! Isn't that right Dillon?" Isabelle said excitedly, as she decided to answer for the quiet cowboy armadillo. Dillon simply nodded, to show that what Isabelle said was correct, while both Junpei and Yukari nodded back. Dillon then shifted focus onto Aigis who he eyed suspiciously, as something about the girl seemed off to him.

"Thank you Dillon for assisting my two friends. Do you mind if I ask what your occupation is?" Aigis asked. Isabelle raised her right paw, as she wanted to answer again for Dillon, seeing how he was pretty quiet.

"Dillon's a ranger. His job is to protect villages from... I think they're called Grocks?" Isabelle explained, as she went into a thinking pose. "These rock monsters that started showing up in the Wild West in his world. Dillon's really good at fighting, and he can easily take them down,"

Dillon nodded once more, as he kept cutting his steak into pieces. The rest of SEES from what they just heard, were pretty impressed. Starfy in particular squealed happily, as he really admired Dillon's strength, and hearing his previous exploits always made him excited. Dillon looked toward Akihiko, as the boxer smirked.

"First off, thanks for helping my friends. I appreciate it. Secondly, is anyone from your world a fighter in this tournament?" Akihiko asked. Dillon shook his head for a no, as he continued cutting his steak into many pieces.

"As my friend just said, thanks. As for my question, they just asked you to join as an Assist Trophy and that was it?" Shinjiro asked. Dillon shook his head for a yes, as Dillon then eyed Koromaru as he simply happily barked at Dillon. Dillon simply nodded, and the members of SEES just wondered if Dillon actually understood Koromaru or not, due to Dillon being a humanoid animal, and then he faced Ken.

"You were awesome Dillon! The way you took down Marth and Lucina was spectacular. You should be an official fighter in Smash Bros," Ken praised. Dillon couldn't help but smirk, as he nodded towards Ken. Dillon then turned towards Fuuka, who had a small smile on her face.

"Thank you for helping Mitsuru sempai and Minato yesterday. I really appreciate it. Sorry to give you more food, since I already know you're having breakfast, but I hope you enjoy it during your free time," Fuuka said, as she passed along more fruit candy towards Dillon. Dillon received the fruit candy as he overlooked it, and then the cowboy had a smirk on his face once more, as he tipped his hat towards her, showing his appreciation as he took it, and would save it for later. He then looked over to Minato and Mitsuru, as they both simply nodded towards him, as he already met with the two prior and smirked at them as well. Pit smiled, seeing how it went well with everyone. Breakfast continued as everyone talked (or in Dillon's case, non verbally responded back) and soon it was over as the members of SEES prepared to leave the practically empty cafeteria.

"It was nice meeting you all," Isabelle said happily, as Starfy squealed in agreement as well. Dillon gave them all a thumbs up to show his approval of them all. The members of SEES all said their thanks as they left, while Pit decided to stay behind with the three Assist Trophy members. Dillon had decided to go sit at one of the empty tables as he placed his feet wearing boots, on them and began to take a nap. Starfy soon left as well as he headed to the indoor park to meet with his good friend, Kirby.

"How is everything with you guys? I know Starfy and Dillon are still wanting to be official fighters one day, isn't that right? Still fighting for their reasons to be one," Pit asked to Isabelle, who shook her head for a yes.

"They're still fighting and assisting. Starfy really wants to become a fighter so he and Kirby can always be together as friends." Isabelle answered concerned and quietly, as she didn't want to disturb Dillon who was now napping. "I remember you telling me that Starfy has been here since the Brawl Tournament and that's when he met Kirby who he became really good friends with."

"Yeah... they really became good friends. In regards to the current tournament, I heard Starfy was both excited and a bit upset when he was asked to be an Assist Trophy again, for the current tournament," Pit answered back seriously. "I hope The Master deems him worthy one day. That way he can be with Kirby as friends as long as he's a fighter,"

"But that's not even guaranteed Pit," Isabelle said concerned still. "Even fighters can be dropped if The Master decides to not have them anymore from what I heard,"

"Yeah... I know," Pit answered back solemnly, as he began to recall some of the other fighters he met during the Brawl Tournament that were no longer with them. A legendary soldier who helped stopped machines known as Metal Gears, a mercenary who led his own group called Star Wolf, a ice climbing duo who always fought together, a trainer whose fiery reptile who now fought for him in the current tournament was the only remnant of his presence as he was now gone, and a blonde haired psychic young man with some serious self esteem issues. Pit missed these fighters dearly, even if he wasn't on the best terms with some of them.

"Dillon is still fighting and assisting really hard to be in as well," Isabelle said. "He wants to prove to The Master that he's a strong and worthy fighter."

"I be down for him being in as an official fighter for Super Smash Bros. He's definitely strong as being rammed by his rolls in the past have felt," Pit answered with a sheepish smile. "I heard from his friend from his world, he can't be accustomed to just a life of peace and quiet... granted him napping right now contradicts that, but he really wants to get in on the action."

"Well I believe he can do it. I know Little Mac used to be an Assist Trophy during the Brawl Tournament, even after everything he did to catch Smash Corp's attention," Isabelle replied. "If Little Mac can transition from Assist Trophy to fighter then I bet Dillon and Starfy can as well."

Pit smiled from what he heard. Suddenly he recalled something that also came into his mind earlier when he saw Isabelle earlier.

"Hey Isabelle... can I ask you to do me a favor?" Pit asked, as Isabelle nodded back as she was always happy to help. "Please make sure Fuuka is alright during her time here in Smash Tower in the future," Pit asked.

"Of course. She's a really nice girl along with all her other friends. I have no problem with that," Isabelle replied. "But you didn't need to ask that. I like Fuuka and she's really nice to me as well,"

"I know. I just feel... she might be really sensitive and she might have some self esteem issues," Pit said concerned and seriously. Isabelle looked sad as she heard that. "You see I heard from Yukari and Junpei... while she was helping out her friend Minato, as he was fighting against Little Mac at the Boxing Ring last month, some people in the audience said some... hurtful things to her,"

"That's terrible," Isabelle whispered back sadly. She herself was always so kind, considerate, and loved to make other people happy. To hear that someone just as kindhearted as her, was treated in such a manner, made her feel bad. "Well after I'm done watching Mr. Mayor's match later today, I'll definitely spend more time with Fuuka then."

"Thank you so much Isabelle," Pit said with a smile, as the two shared a friendly hug.

"No problem Pit! You're such a nice guy, always looking out for others. In this case, are you acting as Fuuka's guardian angel?" Isabelle replied with a smile. Pit smirked in response to what he just heard.

"I guess you can put it that way. Fuuka along with Minato and all their friends... they deserve to be happy. Especially Fuuka and Minato. I don't want their time in Smash Tower to be a bad one," Pit said seriously. He had developed a strong bond with the members of SEES, and really enjoyed their company. He along with the other members of Super Smash Bros that have met the members of SEES so far, had developed a strong bond with them. He also related to Fuuka's situation of bullying, after what he heard a while back when he accidentally crashed in on them, when they were both in the hot springs alone. Pit then said good bye, as he left while Isabelle was soon by herself with Dillon napping nearby. Isabelle decided to sit nearby Dillon, as he napped as she wanted to stay with him, to keep Dillon company before she see her mayor's match later. She adjusted her black wristwatch as it had an alarm function and she felt a bit tired fr

"Because that's what friends do... assist and help each other. I'll do it for Dillon, Pit, Mr. Mayor, all the fighters... and all my new friends," Isabelle whispered quietly, to herself as she sat next to Dillon and quietly rested her head on the table, as she too began to snore peacefully away.

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**So what did you guys think? As always, notes to explain stuff as usual.  
**

**1\. Isabelle is a new character in the Animal Crossing series, who made her debut in Animal Crossing: New Leaf for the 3DS. She plays the role of the Mayor's secretary (Mr. Mayor being the Villager character in Smash in this case, she's referring to) and she has a very kind personality as well. Very similar to Fuuka's except she's not as self doubting in comparison.  
**

**2\. That friend of Dillon that's mentioned, is a character named Russ. Russ comments how Dillon rarely speaks which is reflected as our cowboy armadillo... didn't speak at all so far. Speaking of Dillon, he comes from a series called The Rolling Western that only has two games so far, on the 3DS Eshop.**

**3\. Starfy is a character from a series, that has 5 games so far. Only the 5th one was released outside of Japan so far. Such is the life of the starfish... star... thing. Poor guy.  
**

**4\. I figure it be a good chance to get more characters involved, once more without having to wait for every Order to have a new opponent involved. Also, I realize it's hard to write such a large cast, so I cut the Assist Trophy characters to those I deemed necessary at the moment, and for possible future roles in following chapters.**

**5\. I decided to mention the cut Brawl characters. Snake in particular, I still really miss. I'm also partial to Wolf and Lucas. Ice Climbers I miss, but 3DS hardware limitations alas. Pokemon Trainer I don't miss, but for those who do miss him, I understand the feeling.  
**

**6\. I figure the members of SEES be used to all the unique individuals and situations they've been in considering their history. I guess meeting characters like Isabelle, Starfy, and Dillon is not that much of a stretch. That and I don't think Dillon understands Koromaru personally, when the Shiba Inu barked to him.**

**Well that's about it. Till the next chapter, and I hope you guys all enjoyed!**


	11. What's a ROB? What's a Mega Man?

**Chapter 11 is finally here. I apologize for taking a while, as I recently had new work to attend to in my schedule. Nonetheless, I'm happy to finally continue the story. Also this chapter will have some important notes at the end, so things to keep in mind. As always, if you have anything you want to say, in regards to this chapter, any previous chapter, or the story in general, don't hesitate. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

The days of May were soon gone, as time went on. Isabelle soon became close to the members of SEES, and even without Pit's suggestion she and Fuuka bonded very closely in particular. The two would discuss a lot of mundane things, but greatly found each other to be great friendly company. Minato himself also found a new great companion with Dillon, from Smash Tower to be with, besides the other fighters he fought against so far. Minato sometimes needed some alone and quiet time, he would catch a quiet lunch with Dillon, as the cowboy armadillo was normally silent during his interactions. Starfy being the friendly starfish he was, wanted to hang out with the members of SEES as well, when he wasn't off spinning in battle (trying to at least) or hanging out with the others who already lived at Smash Tower. He easily got along with SEES (his cute appearance certainly helped a lot), as he also enjoyed their company.

The SEES members now also hung out with Marth and Lucina a lot, and they found themselves fascinated by the tales, the two would tell of their adventures or moments with their own friends back home. Lucina in particular had a lot of humorous moments to share, in regards to the people she found herself interacting with (a sweets obsessed thief named Gaius, someone in a suit of armor who was constantly unnoticed by the others named Kellam, a devoted knight captain named Frederick who arguably had a big obsession with Lucina's father Chrom, and so on). Mitsuru also found herself fencing with the two, as they loved to have a new sparring partner to fence against besides themselves and the other sword wielders in the competition, and soon grew close as well.

It was now June 1st as it was now Summer and the members of SEES began to dress in their casual summer clothing. They soon found themselves in front of the doors that led to the chairmen's office once again, and soon went inside. They saw the orange wearing chairman totally oblivious to their presence as he was currently engaged, playing on his orange 3DS gaming system. They all waited and waited, but it seemed the orange wearing male, has yet to still notice them. Minato rolled his eyes as he decided to bring the orange wearing individual, back to reality. He walked nearby to the individual, and then with one clean motion, grabbed the 3DS out of him, and closed the system, before he handed it back. Sunset stared blankly at his 3DS, before sighing with annoyance as he turned to face the members of SEES.

"I was so close to getting a new high score in Tetris DS! Thanks for ruining my fun," Sunset whined. "I suppose it's my fault for getting so into it. I had to occupy myself with something while waiting for Mr. Arisato since that was getting boring. Anyway... here's your next order from The Master,"

Sunset handed an orange ticket to Minato, and he reluctantly put away his 3DS system into a case for it, as he began complaining under his breath about how Minato ruined his high score still, as Minato began to read and overlook the order ticket.

"Aigis and myself will be facing off against R.O.B. and Mega Man at a place called Wily Castle." Minato said out loud. Everyone else had curious expressions upon hearing those names, while Aigis in particular was happy to help out Minato once more.

"R.O.B.? What does that stand for?" Yukari asked.

"And who's Mega Man? Sounds kind of... like another weird name to have," Junpei added, as the members of SEES all shifted attention towards the orange wearing chairman who smirked.

"First let's start with who our three initial named fighter is. He's the Robotic Operating Buddy. Let's call him Rob to keep things simple. As his full name implies, Rob is that of the mechanical nature. Mega Man by the way, is also a robot as well and he's a really strong one. Truly befitting his title of Blue Metal Hero... or Blue Bomber depending on who you ask. Mr. Arisato should continue to finish reading the rest of the information on his ticket," Sunset explained with a smirk. Aigis's interest piqued much more from just hearing this, as she rarely interacted with other robotic beings besides Labrys and for a brief period, someone she knew personally as Metis.

"This battle will be a one stock match, with all shooting items available. This battle will take place on the Friday of June 19th at 6PM at night. Combatants Minato and Aigis will be picked up around 5:45 in their hallway by their opponents." Minato finished reading.

"Heh. Those two robots are going to show you and your outdated bucket of bolts who's boss," Sunset gloated. The members of SEES all frowned or scowled upon hearing that. Aigis in particular was looking particularly distressed, though she was now even more curious to see who Rob and Mega Man were, due to their robotic nature. "Sorry. I was acting like my brother who tends to be more snobbish. Fuchsia was always a jerk to me when we were growing up playing on the N64... wait I shouldn't be talking about that. Have fun getting your butts beat! Now that's a taunt more appropriate my style."

"Shut up," Minato said simply annoyed, at the orange chairman's childhood and immature rantings. Sunset gritted his teeth and tried to not curse back, as he looked annoyed at what he just heard. He was tempted to grab his orange sunglasses and hurl them at the teenager, before he realized that be too ridiculous to do, and he have to get new orange sunglasses.

"Gah! You should be the one shutting up Mr. Arisato! I rather you sooner sign your contract, or lose to an opponent so you're forced to sign it! The faster you can bring more entertainment to me, everyone else in Smash Tower, and the world!" Sunset whined. "Seriously, you make a fun addition to the fights we have in this competition. Don't act like you didn't have fun smashing your opponents so far!?"

"Not to interrupt, but can I ask something?" Junpei said as Sunset turned to face the baseball capped wearing teen with an annoyed look. "Can we actually go outside now? It's summer and we've been trapped in this tower for months. Don't you want us all to get some fresh air and outdoor... fun?"

Sunset cringed upon hearing that, as Junpei brought that up again. He began to wonder if that restriction in particular might have been too strict. Maybe it help convince Mr. Arisato to stay in this competition, if he got out of Smash Tower more, to see the world more.

"You know what... you're right. Tell you what. If you beat this order and the next order from The Master, I'll argue in favor of that for you guys. Being stuck in one location all the time, even if it's somewhere awesome and entertaining as Smash Tower can get boring. I guess it be fine to let you guys explore the rest of the city more. Keep in mind, you have to still get the order tickets I and my brother Sky, who's after me, stamped if you manage to win. Till then, you're still stuck." Sunset answered back.

"Awesome!" Junpei exclaimed, and the rest of SEES couldn't help but smile, as that was something else to enjoy potentially in the future. Sunset rolled his eyes at their reactions.

"Right... that's assuming Mr. Arisato completes this order and the next one," Sunset said. "Well would you like the chance to interview Rob and Mega Man? Might be interesting to speak with two robots that are going to kick your butt and Aigis's lame robot butt. I can set one up for June 3rd this Wednesday,"

The members of SEES rolled their eyes at the orange chairman's comment, but nodded to the interview. They saw no reason to turn down this opportunity, as their interviews with the angels and boxer have shown.

"Smart move you boring punks. Now get out of the office. I got a new high score to be working on," Sunset whined, as he turned his 3DS back on. The members of SEES all got out and they all nodded to each other. Minato and Fuuka looked towards each other one more and to Aigis, who was ready to help out in combat.

"Like how Junpei-san helped you with battering items, I can get Minato-san up to speed on all the shooting items. Items like the Super Scope, Fire Flower, Ray Gun, Drill Arm, Gust Bellows, and the Steel Diver," Aigis said with a smile.

"Some of those items are so bizarre. A flower that can shoot out fire?" Yukari said.

"Probably not the best gift to give to someone, unless you want them burning themselves or you to a crisp," Junpei added sheepishly. "Plus that submarine gun that shoots mini torpedoes. Talk about subverting expectations for a submarine,"

"Were... you trying to make a lame pun Stupei?" Yukari said with skeptical eyes. Junpei was about to retort, had Akihiko decided to interrupt him, before another argument between the two occurred.

"Anyway, it looks like Aigis is going to take the reigns next for this next fight." Akihiko stated.

"Are you sufficiently ready to support and fight alongside Arisato?" Mitsuru asked, as Aigis nodded back to her in response.

"I am. I am ready to support Minato-san, and I am ready to fight alongside Minato-san as I did many years ago, and am always happy to do so." Aigis replied happily with a smile. "I also trust Fuuka-san to do a great job as well, with her great analysis and reseach,"

"Don't worry. I'll make sure to do thorough research on Rob, Mega Man, and Wily Castle," Fuuka happily answered back. Minato soon found himself with Aigis at the gym, as they trained using all these shooting items on Sandbag. The living training bag found itself, being pelted by various projectiles and Aigis herself also added on with her own weaponry. It was going to be a rather messy fight, for the next of The Master's orders.

* * *

The next morning came once more, as they had their usual meeting to see the newcomers and new arena, as they did with the previous orders from The Master. The lights went out and a holographic model of one of the two opponents showed up. It was what appeared to be a white robot, with red arm like appendages, and had a circular base for movement, as opposed to legs. It's head had two circular glass eyes, and a red LED (light emitting diode) on the top of it's rectangular like head. It was a far cry from the kind of robot that Aigis was.

"Looks very old school for a robot," Shinjiro stated. "Like something you see out of the old school science fiction movies and all that,"

"Good observation Shinjiro sempai. Rob was created during the 1980s from what I researched. Rob's creators were Professor Hector and his assistant, Professor Vector in their laboratory. He was created to assist them in dealing with tasks like stacking up blocks, and be... a Robotic Operating Buddy," Fuuka explained.

"Well that's... to the point then," Akihiko stated. "Seems to make sense. Created by two professors to help them out in their laboratory. He's also technically more outdated then Aigis as well,"

"Rob the...Robotic Operating Buddy," Aigis said quietly to herself, as the members of SEES looked at her concerned. "I was designed as an anti-shadow weapon and not as a... buddy initially. Do I fit such a description?"

"Yes you do Aigis," Minato said with confidence, as Aigis smiled from being complimented by their leader in that way.

"She's definitely our R.O.B.!" Ken proclaimed, with Koromaru barking in agreement, causing Aigis to grin happily.

"Aigis... you'll always be our friend. Don't forget all the times we all spent together," Fuuka said, causing Aigis to smile once more from what she heard.

"What's Rob's fighting style though? It's probably very different from Aigis's fighting style," Mitsuru said. Fuuka soon closed the holographic image of Rob and soon put up a video of Rob in that white room practicing against Sandbag. They saw that a lot of Rob's attacks consisted of the robot using it's arms to attack, charging it's head to unleash a laser blast directly in front of it, and using it's thrusters in it circular base to give a direct fiery blast, as all these attacks were applied onto Sandbag.

"Rob has some other special techniques as well besides what you guys saw so far. Rob has the Robo Beam which is a laser his robotic eyes can fire out. The longer Rob waits before using it, the stronger it gets. His LED will begin to flash a lot once it's fully charged. Rob also has a technique called the Arm Rotor, where Rob will spin his arms and besides hitting you with them, he can also reflect projectiles. Rob can also launch a Gyro, as he can spin tops and shoot them towards his opponents. The more he spins the top, the stronger the Gyro he launches is. Finally he has the Robo Burner which has him flying or hovering in the air using his thrusters," Fuuka explained as Rob performed all these techniques.

"Please tell me that Robo Burner move is limited in some way?" Yukari asked concerned.

"It is. Rob uses up some sort of fuel when he uses it, and if he runs out of it, he has to wait for it to replenish over time. Beating Rob is going to be knocking him out to the point where he won't have enough fuel to recover,"

"It is similar to my own thrusters. I cannot fly forever continuously as well," Aigis pointed out. "Despite the differences in our creation and purpose, I do share some similarities with Rob. I must commend Fuuka-san for her research as usual as well. I believe it's time we overlook Rob's Final Smash for precaution despite it's chance of appearing in this match to be null,"

Fuuka nodded, as the video soon had the robot breaking a Smash Ball, and it started to glow that same intense aura that surrounded anyone who managed to obtain it's powers. Rob folded his arms down onto the ground, as Rob seemed to transform into a cannon of some sorts, and fired a yellow beam that split into four smaller beams at the end, and then it finally finished off with a blast sending Sandbag flying forward. Rob was back to normal as it's glass eyes shined brightly as Rob moved his head in an arc and the video ended.

"Rob's Final Smash is called the Super Diffusion Beam. Rob fires a big laser, that splits into four smaller laser beams, and then he finishes the opponent with one more big laser blast." Fuuka explained.

"From what I just saw... it does seem to have some limited range actually despite it's power," Mitsuru pointed out. "At least compared to something like Dark Pit's Final Smash,"

"Well we thankfully don't have to worry about it for right now regardless, due to Smash Balls not appearing. Let's learn about Mega Man now. I'm curious to see what makes this robot the Blue Bomber," Minato said with a smirk. Fuuka nodded as everything about Rob was now covered for now. The focus went to focus on a new holographic image, as it depicted Mega Man. Mega Man appeared to be a robotic young man wearing blue armor that resembled a blue bodysuit, blue helmet, and blue eyes. Unlike Rob, Mega Man's appearance was much more closer to humanoid and was more similar to Aigis, in comparison. They noted that Mega Man's left arm resembled some sort of... gun buster while his right hand resembled that of a normal hand, aside from being blue. Aigis in particular couldn't help but feel very curious, as Mega Man was finally another humanoid robot besides Metis and Labrys she could relate with.

"Wow. I can see why they call him Blue Bomber or Blue Metal Hero. He's definitely... blue," Junpei said, while Yukari simply rolled her eyes at what she just heard. "He looks like he can pass off as Aigis's little brother!"

"Well it's not every day you have humanoid robots running around." Yukari said, as she had to admit that much.

"What is Mega Man's history Yamagishi? I'm rather curious to hear about it," Mitsuru asked, as Fuuka nodded towards her. "I guess I shouldn't be too surprised to see other worlds and universes having their own humanoid robots,"

"Mega Man was originally a helper robot made by a scientist named Dr. Light and was suppose to be a lab assistant. One day however, another scientist who also specialized in making robots, stole special robots from Dr. Light called Robot Masters, and planned to use them to take over the world. Mega Man volunteered to become a combat robot to stop this scientist, and has been constantly fighting to protect his world since. That other robotics scientist that originally stole Dr. Light's Robot Masters, also keeps making his own Robot Masters or stealing other people's Robot Masters as his tools, to try to keep taking over the world," Fuuka explained. Aigis felt sad upon hearing this, as Mega Man was forced to fight to protect his world, and how this evil scientist had other robots used for such a sinister purpose.

"So he was originally an assistant robot like Rob, but because of this evil scientist, became a combat robot to protect the world?" Akihiko said, as Fuuka nodded back in response.

"Talk about a super fighting robot!" Ken exclaimed. "I wonder what kinds of weapons he has,"

"Mega Man has a huge arsenal of weapons and abilities he utilizes in this tournament. Mega Man gained a majority of them from fighting the Robot Masters used by the evil scientist. Mega Man has the ability to copy their ability or weapon for himself. I'll let the video showcase and explain this as he really has a lot," Fuuka explained as she turned the holographic screen off, and played a video of Mega Man practicing against Sandbag in that white room. Mega Man showcased a wide range of attacks. Whether it be spinning like a top or sliding into Sandbag, or unleashing aerial attacks like a fire sword, a vertical tornado, and a slash like attack in the air. He also used his buster arm to shoot small shots of energy, or stayed on the ground to blast a charged up shot at Sandbag. He used both his arms to unleash a blast of fire upon the ground, though they all noted that Mega Man left himself open afterward, and he then raised both his arms into the air as they transformed into electrodes and emitted a blast of electricity. Aigis really noted that attack in particular, seeing how electricity was her weakness. Fuuka explained in detail regarding these attacks and weapons (from Air Shooters to Flame Blast to Spark Shocks, etc), and they were amazed by the amount of options Mega Man had for attacking.

"Talk about a living arsenal," Shinjiro stated. "I bet he even has more weapons then what he just showed off."

"Correct again Shinjiro sempai. He also has Metal Blades which he can throw in multiple directions, Crash Bomber which has him shooting a ticking time bomb he can stick on his opponents, and Leaf Shields which has four leaf looking pieces of armor surround him temporarily which he can also throw," Fuuka said, as Mega Man used each of these weapons in his arsenal. Whether it be the saw blades which he threw in different directions, a orange time bomb being attached to Sandbag before it soon detonated, and summoned a barrier that resembled green leaves around him before he threw them forward.

"Wow. He makes Aigis looks like a shopping bag while he's a shopping cart in comparison," Junpei said concerned. Aigis couldn't help picture a mental image, of herself holding a big shopping bag that held grenade launchers, rifles, and other gun based weapons she utilized, while Mega Man was pushing a large shopping cart filled with the various Robot Master weapons he had. It was a concerning mental image for her, needless to say.

"Granted he doesn't seem to have any recovery moves to get back onto the arena... does he?" Yukari asked, also concerned.

"Well he does. He can summon his pet robot dog, Rush to use one of Rush's abilities to spring him into the air, called the Rush Coil." Fuuka explained, as a red robotic dog appeared and Mega Man jumped onto, as the red robotic dog had a spring launch Mega Man into the air, as Rush teleported into the air. "Rush can even appear under Mega Man in the air, but he can't use it consecutively, so it's not too overpowered, though he is a very cute robot dog,"

Koromaru barked in agreement as he saw Mega Man summon the robot dog once more, to launch Mega Man into the air once more.

"Well at least Mega Man doesn't have thrusters like Aigis or Rob," Mitsuru noted. "He probably has his own Final Smash as well, though, doesn't he?"

"Yes. It's very spectacular as well, from what I saw during my research. It's called Mega Legends. He starts off by using a weapon called the Black Hole Bomb, which is an explosive that releases a small black hole. If he catches any opponent in it... well I think you all should see for yourselves," Fuuka explained.

Soon the video continued as Mega Man broke a Smash Ball and he faced Sandbag with a very serious expression. He fired a purple sphere towards Sandbag and it soon exploded into a black hole, trapping Sandbag within it. Then suddenly, four other individuals who looked similar yet distinct from Mega Man appeared beside him. All five unleashed their powered up Charged Shot upon Sandbag, causing the living bag to get sent flying very far. Mega Man was now back to normal as he spun around, and struck a pose with his back towards the camera, as the video ended. Everyone else was at a loss for words, by the awesomeness of what they just saw, even if they were also very confused by who these other four similar but different looking people that appeared with Mega Man, were. Koromaru couldn't start barking in excitement, as it was truly awesome to witness.

"Who were they!?" Ken yelled out, excited by what he saw. "The other four guys with Mega Man? All five of them together... was like something out of Featherman!"

"From what I researched... two of them come from Mega Man's future, from his world. The young adult with the helmet with the red jewel on it, is named Mega Man X. The one that looked like a teenager without his helmet and has brown hair is Mega Man Volnutt. The other two come from an alternate dimension from Mega Man's universe, where instead of robotics becoming the technology that prospered, it was internet and radio wave technology. The one with the red circular chest piece on his armor was Mega Man EXE, and the one with the wolf like buster is known as the Star Force Mega Man," Fuuka explained, as she was also amazed by seeing it again. "I guess The Master has them summoned when Mega Man unleashes his Final Smash. "

"That's a lot of different Mega Men then," Junpei said, amazed by what he saw. "Awesome Final Smash. I'm so glad Minato is not taking that to the face... though it be a pretty spectacular way to go out in defeat,"

"That was pretty cool," Yukari said, still amazed. "Ken's right. Those five together like that, was like if all the rangers in Featherman got together for a group attack."

"Not to interrupt the praise for Mega Man's Final Smash which I also admit, was very spectacular but... I noticed you didn't name who the evil robot scientist was, Yamagishi," Mitsuru pointed out. "Earlier when you mentioned Mega Man's history, you named his creator Dr. Light, but not this other scientist. Do you have a reason why?"

"Good question Mitsuru sempai. I was going to actually get to that. You see... his name is Dr. Wily," Fuuka explained. As soon as the name Wily was heard, they all realized they heard that name before.

"Dr. Wily? But isn't the new arena... called Wily Castle?" Akihiko said, as they realized the implications of this name, and why Fuuka waited till now to say it. Soon Fuuka played a video that showcased Wily Castle. The arena was a huge green metal structure, that had the middle of the arena with the logo that depicted "Dr. W," and it was during night as a massive skull shaped modern castle, loomed in the background with spotlights around it, illuminating the huge skull shaped fortress.

"Dr. Wily usually builds some sort of base of operation with his robots, during his attempts to take over the world. The one used in this tournament as an arena, was his 2nd one." Fuuka explained.

"Please tell me that Dr. Wily doesn't try to interfere with the match in some way. That be really lame," Yukari asked, concerned.

"You're asking a lot of concerned questions lately Yuka-tan," Junpei teased.

"Well of course. I'm concerned for Minato and Aigis. Plus we're in a meeting where we discuss the topics on hand," Yukari answered back.

"Well Yukari... I wish that were the case but unfortunately no. When an alarm starts blaring from the castle, one of Dr. Wily's robots will be sent out to the arena to cause some trouble. In this case, a robot called the Yellow Devil which will attack all the fighters indiscriminately," Fuuka answered. Soon an alarm began to blare, as what appeared on the roof of the skull shaped castle was a huge yellow figure. It soon split into multiple slime like spheres, as the yellow slimy spheres crashed onto the arena, before reforming into the yellow giant it was. They noted it had a black circular eye hole in the center of it's yellow slimy mass, where a red robotic eye can be seen from it. The red eye fired projectiles of energy from it's eyes, before it split itself once more and the pieces moved to the other side in a specific pattern, before it reformed into it's giant form once more and attacked.

"Yellow Devil? More like a yellow menace on society," Akihiko said with a frustrated expression.

"I mean seriously. It looks like a Shadow blob that had way too much cheese and got red eye," Junpei added. They all turned to face Junpei with a questionable expression, as he sheepishly smiled. "It's a big blob thing that's yellow. Isn't that cheesy?"

"Were you stuck dealing with Sho, a lot longer then anyone else during the P-1 Climax?" Yukari said, as she recalled the red headed guy, being a huge fan of puns.

"I don't... think so? Granted I don't think anyone of us wanted to be stuck with that guy. Seriously. What a nutcase he was during that incident," Junpei whined, as he recalled the vicious and nihilistic individual, who thankfully calmed down after the incident. Aigis cleared her breath, as she had decided to say something to get back on topic.

"Regardless, I am confident, that combat robot can be defeated, if we have taken on powerful opponents such as the Shadows," Aigis stated in a positive tone.

"That's right Aigis. Yellow Devil? It's going to have to deal with The Universal Wild Card and... the Yellow Angel!" Ken said as he used Minato's title from the Boxing Ring, and he came up with one for Aigis on the spot. Fuuka giggled happily from hearing that, while Minato just rolled his eyes at that title he was given from Smash Corp, and Aigis just smiled.

"Yes. I'm sure there are ways to handle the Yellow Devil, isn't that right Yamagishi?" Mitsuru asked.

"Of course. When the Yellow Devil is in it's complete form, the red eye that it attacks with is it's weak point. If enough damage is dealt to the Yellow Devil's red eye, then it'll explode. Actually... what's really interesting is, the one who causes the explosion is unaffected by it. So if Minato or Aigis cause it to explode, and if Rob or Mega Man is nearby it, they can really take a significant amount of damage. As for dodging the Yellow Devil... if you're right behind it, none of it's attacks can hit you, and when it splits it's slime, it moves the slime into a specific pattern," Fuuka explained.

"Learn the pattern, you can dodge it effectively. Got it," Minato said with a confident smirk, that Fuuka nodded in response. "Rob and Mega Man have probably dealt with this thing a lot longer, so they're probably used to the pattern by now though. Guess I have to brush up on studying this devil's pattern,"

"It seems we ourselves have a lot of options to handling the Yellow Devil in general though," Aigis added on.

"Yep. If you two really wanted to, you can just dodge it and let it attack Rob and Mega Man as well. The Yellow Devil however can retreat back to the castle, if it's not defeated in time, so that's another thing to keep in mind," Fuuka explained. "I guess that about covers Wily Castle. I now need to do a lot of reviewing with Minato and Aigis in regards to strategies for dealing with Rob and Mega Man now, so if anyone doesn't want to stay for that, I guess the meeting's over,"

Minato and Aigis nodded, and the other members of SEES left the three alone as they began to review strategies in regards on how to deal with the two robotic fighters and their wide variety of attacks.

* * *

Elsewhere, we see what appeared to be that private location that "The Master," and his brother were heard speaking with each other in, where they spoke a while ago in. Half the platform still was made of volcanic rock, and the other still shined brilliantly with the blue crystal. We focus on that special location once more as both found themselves conversing with each other.

"This is clearly not going the way you intended," the maniacal voice said with concern and disgust. "That wild card is proving very capable and still rebellious as he's already cleared half of your orders,"

"Bah. Nothing to fret about my illogical brother. He may have completed four in a row, but five? Would you consider one winning eight of my orders in a row that probable?" the calmer voice belonging to The Master spoke.

"Heh. Anything that's possible can technically happen. You should be aware of that. I really desire a match with this wild card. The sensation of inflicting bodily harm onto him is only growing, as I've watched him defeat his previous opponents," the insane voice responded back.

"If he truly completes all eight of my orders, then I of course will have him challenge us for his right to choose to be apart of our competition or not." The Master responded back. "If only if he were more obedient and joined already,"

"Yes... and then he'll truly rue the day he went against you and myself. He maybe strong, but not on our level." the crazed voice replied back, with gleeful dark laughter.

"Of course. I'll also give him time to deliberate his choices if he does complete all eight of his orders, to spare him the anguish of having to fight us, if it comes to that. I would still rather he simply choose to join to be a part of our competition, as opposed to my current method of enlisting him. Speaking of deliberating, due to his sudden refusal, I've still yet to pick an arena from his world that be suitable for our tournament, if he were to join. Perhaps an Assist Trophy as well?" The Master answered.

"An Assist Trophy eh? Why not that girl who always assists him in his fights in the competition so far? Her desire to be useful might convince her to become an Assist Trophy, if our universal wild card ends up joining," the deranged voice answered back.

"Not a bad suggestion brother. Plus it would give her the opportunity to be with him, considering the love they have for each other. How could that girl resist such a temptation? She's so meek and weak, I'm sure she wouldn't hesitate to join, if we managed to make our universal wild card an official fighter which we still need to do beforehand, before I can recreate anything else from his world for our competition. Still... I have many options to deliberate over, so keep in mind nothing we've spoken of, has been confirmed yet,"

"Of course. Always with the official and authoritative stance you view things. I rather skip the formalities and get straight to the point, regardless of the outcome. Anyway I feel that sufficiently covers our discussion today, unless you have anything else to discuss?" the deranged voice asked. The Master calmly sighed, as he now brought up a topic that caught his maniacal brother's attention.

"I know I froze space and time in that universe from which that boy is from but... I feel some sort of... very minor yet minute influence moving about in that world," The Master said.

"What? How is that possible? Nothing should be afoot aside from what you or I decide to influence," the deranged voice responded curiously and with a shrill concerned laugh.

"I do not know but... I have a most particular theory who might be doing this. A most... velvet theory," The Master said. The other voice just laughed obnoxiously upon hearing that, as the entity behind that laugh realized who was the identity of the individual.

"Ha! I know of who you speak of... the velvet girl who has a lot of companionship, to our universal wild card currently fighting for his right to choose? Perhaps her and her two siblings might of resisted your influence possibly?" the other voiced laughed back.

"Not a concern if what you theorize is correct. I highly doubt that girl will ever break into our universe. What a rubbish thought. I do not know why I brought this up. I grow tired of our conversation brother. Let's bid adieu for now," The Master responded arrogantly. Both voices began to laugh wildly and arrogantly as their voice dissipated, from that same mysterious location they spoke to each other in previously.

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**And that's the end of Chapter 11, as next chapter we have our Persona duo of Minato &amp; Aigis face off against the robot Smash Bros fighters Rob and Mega Man. I'll start off with some important notes before discussing not as important ones.  
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**1\. So you may have noticed we finally heard from Master Hand and Crazy Hand again. We are halfway through (the orders, not necessarily the story) after all, so I figure it be important to hear their thoughts of the situation, and keep the audience updated on that front.  
**

**2\. You may have also noticed that a certain Velvet Room attendant was mentioned in a way. Needless to say, I always have ideas in mind, but it's always best to set them up in advance so the audience doesn't feel things were set onto them without warning. This won't be something that will be relevant for a long while, but it is definitely worth keeping in mind.**

**3\. My schedule in general has become a lot more busy, but I'll still try to make updates and new chapters as always. This story is one I definitely one I want to finish and tell, and is a goal I intend to complete. This is the last serious note. Now onto more regular observations.**

**4\. Lucina references other particular characters from Fire Emblem Awakening, as they do have their own quirky traits.**

**5\. Rob's biography is based on the original NES titles he was supported with (Gyromite and Stack-Up). The Subspace Emissary plot from Super Smash Bros Brawl is currently being ignored, in regards to his back story (as the plot heavily featured Rob) and in the canon of this story. This can change, but for right now, Subspace Emissary is something that didn't occur within this stories plot for the Super Smash Bros side.**

**6\. Mega Man being the awesome robot he is, has a ton of details to go over. They truly did an awesome job with him in Smash 3DS/Wii U. Those two titles reference the Boxing Ring titles he has from different regions (Blue Metal Hero in the US, Blue Bomber in Europe).  
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**7\. Sho Minazuki did make a ton of puns during his appearance in Ultimax. Perhaps it rubbed off on other people.**

**I think that's about it. Sorry if this wasn't the most exciting chapter, but hopefully Chapter 12 won't take as long and will be more fun. I hope you guys enjoyed.**


	12. Dismantling The Smashing Robots

**Chapter 12 is here at last! Not much to say, but finally glad to have had time to finish this finally, due to my busy schedule now. As always, if you got something to say, don't hesitate to speak your mind. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter! Let's move on.  
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* * *

Minato, Aigis, and Fuuka found themselves sitting on a cafeteria table. Aigis found herself very excited to meet these two fighters, Fuuka once again had her writing utensils and teal notebook with her, while Minato was calmly drinking a cup of tea. The rest of SEES sat at a different table. Lucina was playing on her blue 3DS against Pit and Dark Pit at Tetris DS. Dark Pit's face was a very subtle shade of red, as he tried to focus on beating the other two in a game of Tetris DS they were playing each other in. Marth, Ike, and Little Mac were having a discussion with each other, in regards to a certain Koopa King who was not disciplining his son lately (if ever). Like how he was letting his son get away with using his paintbrush or crayons on their rooms, when no one was around and how the three was discussing how to handle the situation. Soon Rob and Mega Man entered the room, catching the attention of the SEES members, as they approached the table Minato, Aigis, and Fuuka sat at. Mega Man in particular was not wearing his blue armored attire, but rather a orange t-shirt, brown shorts, and he had orange metallic shoes on at the moment. Mega Man's brown hair was visible, as he was not wearing his blue helmet as well, and he had a friendly smile on his face.

"Hi! I'm Mega Man and my other robotic friend here is Rob. Nice to meet you all!" Mega Man said in his friendly young voice. Rob nodded alongside him, as the three members of SEES introduced themselves. Minato shook hands with Mega Man, while for Rob tried to gently shake with one of Rob's robotic appendages, who did so back. Fuuka did the same back, and then finally Aigis did the same. Mega Man couldn't help but notice that Aigis was also robotic herself. "So you must be Minato's robot friend, helping him in battle. Actually... you look like my sister if she were your age,"

"I resemble your sister? You... have a sister?" Aigis asked back curiously. Mega Man nodded, as he took out a photo from his shorts pocket and showed it to the three. It depicted Mega Man in his casual clothes, a old friendly man wearing a white lab coat,with a white beard and head of hair, and finally a young girl wearing a red skirt and red boots with blonde hair tied with a green ribbon.

"That's Roll. My sister who was also created by my father, Dr. Light who is the man you see in there. They're my family," Mega Man explained. The three members of SEES smiled at the photo, as they seemed like such a happy family. Aigis in particular was also reminded of Labrys, and wondered how she was doing, still frozen back in their world. Rob however made some beeping noises that both Mega Man and Aigis understood. "Sorry to be taking away all the attention Rob. Do you have anything you want to say to them?"

Rob made more beeping noises that both Mega Man and Aigis understood. Whether Rob was able to communicate in an English voice was unknown to the members of SEES, but if the robot could, he chose not to do so.

"I understand Rob. Well if you're fine with me doing all the talking, I guess I can do that," Mega Man said. "Rob's a bit of a quiet guy, so he doesn't really communicate unless he has too. He said you guys can ask him anything though, and he'll respond though. You also understood that as well, Ms. Aigis?"

"Yes. Earlier you mentioned me being robotic after all. How do you know of my robotic nature?" Aigis asked, a little surprised back, as Mega Man nodded towards her. "Were you told of that?"

"No. My scanners just picked up on you being a robot. Like Rob, you're from another world though, so I can't scan all your details, though, as it's incompatible with my world's technology," Mega Man explained. "But I'm really excited to meet another robot! Can we hang out after our match Ms. Aigis?"

Aigis felt herself blushing, as Mega Man now held some admiration for her, as if Aigis was like an older sister to him, while Minato and Fuuka both smiled.

"I would love to. But why don't we ask you some questions?" Aigis said happily back.

"Of course. What do you guys want to ask us about?" Mega Man asked.

"Well for starters, you carry a large amount of weaponry and abilities. Can you explain that in more detail?" Minato asked.

"Sure. Dr. Light built into me the ability to copy abilities from a special line of robots known as Robot Masters. It's called the Weapon Copy System... also known as the Variable Weapons System. I can copy a Robot Master's weapon or ability into my system, after I defeat one of them. That's why I have so many options, but for this tournament I'm just limiting myself to an extent," Mega Man explained to them. "Though to be honest, I still wish things would be more peaceful. I really rather not fight and just help my father, Dr. Light peacefully,"

"It's because of this Dr. Wily individual correct?" Aigis asked concerned. Mega Man nodded back to her. "I see... I don't understand why... you haven't..."

Before Aigis finished, Mega Man immediately recognized what she was about to imply, and his eyes became surprised, by what she was saying. He looked to Rob to see if the robot reacted similarly, and Rob looked confused by Aigis's implications as well.

"No! Never! I mean... during the seventh time Dr. Wily tried to take over the world I kind of came close to actually disobeying the first law of robotics... because I was so tired of him always escaping and causing so much trouble...but... no! Sorry. I don't understand. Don't you have the three laws of robotics in your universe?" Mega Man replied shocked.

"The three laws of robotics..." Aigis spoke quietly, as she knew of what Mega Man spoke of. "Technically they do exist in my universe but I was not programmed with those guidelines into my creation. I was built with a purpose to destroy creatures known as Shadows."

Mega Man blinked rapidly, as he was shocked by what he heard. He didn't understand why Aigis wouldn't have been built with the laws of robotics into her, even if she was made to fight these Shadow creatures.

"It's not that big a deal," Minato said quietly, causing Mega Man and Rob to look at him confused. "You and Rob already broke the first law already though,"

"We... we did?" Mega Man said back confused, though Rob immediately understood what Minato meant, and nodded back in agreement.

"From what I remembered from watching science fiction movies, and from what I studied from my education...the first law of robotics, says that a robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm." Fuuka said.

"Aren't you hurting your opponents in this tournament who are human? Or at least living creatures?" Minato asked back. "Doesn't that mean, you and Rob are not following the first law of robotics?" Mega Man's eyes blinked rapidly again, and he sheepishly grinned embarrassed from not understanding that he already did that.

"That's a very good point. You make a good ace attorney Minato, with your arguing skills and logic. Anyway... The Master however allows it and whatever he wants, he gets. So you're right. Rob and myself do break the first law of robotics here. But I also never fight to kill a living being, human or otherwise. Whenever I end up fighting against Dr. Wily when he usually pilots a machine against me, I only fight to disable his machine and then bring Dr. Wily to justice. Sorry I'm just... still surprised by what Aigis said before and all," Mega Man explained, feeling a bit more calm.

"I did not mean to distress you. I apologize," Aigis replied. Mega Man shook his head, to show he didn't mind. "From my own existence so far, I have fought against others, whether they be human or not for better or worse."

Silence filled the air as the atmosphere suddenly went a bit colder then before, as Mega Man and Aigis looked unsure of what to say next, due to what they just said. Rob however made some beeping noises, to keep the topic going, as the other two robots present understood.

"Rob asked why are you being tested to get in? No one else was ever tested like this to be a fighter in this competition so far from what he understands. I'm kind of new, but I understand what he means. I just had to sign a contract and that was it, yet they're testing you?" Mega Man asked curiously with some naivete to Minato.

"Sorry. I've said this to some of the others but I can't disclose that information. At least not right now. The chairmen probably won't allow for it," Minato said calmly. Mega Man just nodded, understanding.

"That's fine. Well I don't really have much else to ask." Mega Man replied. However Ike shouted to Mega Man to the other table from his.

"Hey Mega Man. Did you or Rob see Junior today? That kid could use some discipline about how it's not right to color everything that doesn't belong to you," Ike asked, as he was tired of finding his room decorated with crayon drawings as the young brat didn't seemed to hold any regard for other people's property. "I'm tired of that kid's pranks or rude behavior lately. He needs a stern talking his dad won't do,"

"Junior? I think I saw him at the indoor park setting up a prank. I think it was something about getting back at Ms. Aran for beating Ms. Toadstool the other day. You know how Junior is with his dad and his dad's crush," Mega Man answered back. The members of SEES all raised their eyes at what they just heard. Who was Ms. Aran and who was Ms. Toadstool? Was this the same Junior, that Pit mentioned a while back? Plus Junior's dad allowed him to be a mischievous brat and had a crush on someone else in this tournament?

"Thanks. Come on Marth and Mac. Let's find Junior and discipline him," Ike said, as Little Mac and Marth followed the two. Lucina seeing this was curious to see what was going to happen as she wanted to follow them, while Dark Pit decided to tag along as well, to keep being with Lucina and to make sure his pal Bowser Jr. was going to be alright, with Pit following as he wanted to make sure Dark Pit was going to be alright at the indoor park. Rob beeped some more noises that Mega Man and Aigis, once again understood.

"You're concerned for Junior and want to check on him as well? Well he seems to be making a lot of trouble lately. I remember I found my blue bed filled with crayon drawings of spikes," Mega Man said annoyed, as he was not a fan of spikes, even if they were just colorful scribbles of them. "But I guess we better check out what happens as well. I don't want Junior fighting, if he's not without his clown car. Junior's father is going to be real mad if he finds out about something like that. Sorry guys but we gotta go."

The members of SEES nodded, as the they said good bye to the two. The members of SEES regrouped as Mitsuru was deep in thought.

"The three laws of robotics... our scientists really didn't implement such a thing," Mitsuru said quietly with a bit of sadness, as she was reminded of a certain incident, where someone hacked into Aigis and had turned her against the rest of SEES, during a certain incident in 2009. "I can't believe that was something they either overlooked or... intentionally not put in,"

"Mitsuru sempai. Let's not reflect on that incident. It's no one's fault," Fuuka said concerned, as she looked at the older girl with concerned eyes.

"She's right. It's not healthy to dwell on the past. We should be focusing on the new information we just heard," Akihiko stated. Mitsuru nodded, regaining her usual confidence.

"So this Junior kid is a real troublemaker huh?" Shinjiro said. "Wonder who Ms. Aran or Ms. Toadstool are? Guessing they might be other fighters as well."

"That and Junior's dad seems to not care about him making trouble for the other fighters. Is that guy a fighter as well?" Junpei said with a bit of disappointment, and curiosity, as he recalled how he was with his own father. "Then again, he doesn't want Junior to fight without a clown car? Is Junior a clown? Is his dad a clown?"

"I think Dark Pit would know. Doesn't he do pranks with Junior sometimes?" Ken asked.

"He does but we can't ask him." Yukari said with frustration. "I hate being left in the dark about so much information but we can't ask for a straight up answer from those who just left, because then they get in trouble and that's not fair to them, I really hate those chairmen brothers and their boss. The Master. Who calls themselves that? We should really get back onto focusing on Mega Man and Rob though,"

"So Fuuka, do you think Minato and Aigis can handle those two?" Akihiko asked. Fuuka nodded as she took out her notebook, as she overlooked the previous day's notes she made, in regards to the two, as today's notes she wrote the new info they learned today.

"Yes. Mega Man and Rob rely a lot on projectiles. Like how Pit and Dark Pit can reflect a lot of projectiles, Aigis and Minato can turn the tables on them I believe. Though Aigis has to be careful around Mega Man because of that one electric ability he uses," Fuuka explained. "Also, like how Yukari had to stay away from Dark Pit due to his Electroshock Arm weapon, Aigis is also better off focusing on Rob as Mega Man has his Spark Shock attack."

"Sounds like you three did your homework. Good job," Mitsuru said with a smile. "I suppose that includes the Yellow Devil's attack pattern as well?"

"Yep. That robot won't be hitting me anytime soon. Granted Mega Man and Rob are also going to be involved as well, so it's going to be pretty chaotic." Minato replied with a smirk. "Still nothing we can't handle,"

"I don't know bro. That thing is called the Yellow Devil for a reason," Junpei said worried. "This Dr. Wily guy, being the evil scientist dude he is, probably has made some really strong robots. That Yellow Devil included."

"No worries. I the Yellow Angel shall destroy it," Aigis proclaimed, as Ken smiled at Aigis using his title, and Koromaru barked in agreement. Minato rolled his eyes at what he just heard, while Fuuka giggled once more. "It is time we resume training Minato-san. To best Rob and Mega Man, and not let this Yellow Devil combat robot get in our way,"

* * *

Time flew by as June 19th finally arrived and evening approached as it was soon 5:45 PM. The three waited in their hallway as the two robots finally arrived, with Mega Man wearing his blue armor and blue helmet now. Aigis herself was not wearing her Gekkoukan school uniform, as she was now in her standard appearance without it. Mega Man and Rob escorted Minato, Aigis, and Fuuka as they were now in an elevator heading to the teleportation room, as Mega Man brought up what ended up happening at the park.

Needless to say, it got pretty messy when Junior's father happened to be in the park as well, as he was trying to hit on Ms. Toadstool who happened to be there, and saw Ike, Marth, and Little Mac confronting Junior who was about to get at Ms. Aran with balloons filled with paint. That day, the park had to see many future renovations as it got way too messy there, as a lot of things went flying all over. Junior's father was not a happy camper that day, as he ended up chasing the three, and with everyone else there it just got really chaotic as they got comically involved in some way. Starting off with Ike, Little Mac, and Marth chasing Junior, with Junior's father angrily stomping after them, Dark Pit was chasing after Lucina to make sure she was alright (along with Junior who was his friend as well), as she was chasing after Junior's father with her Parallel Falchion on hand, since the evil dad was chasing after her ancestor Marth, with Pit following Dark Pit to make sure his counterpart was going to be all right, and Mega Man and Rob themselves chasing after Pit to make sure nothing else happened. Ms. Aran and Ms. Toadstool who were also at the park just sighed, as they saw all the fighters chase each other in the park. It was something you hear out of a comical cartoon with how that incident sounded and went towards the members of SEES.

"Of course, I guess the goofy chaotic moments like that, with the other fighters, make up some of the funny good memories I have so far. I kind of envy the fighters who've been in this competition longer. Maybe you guys will meet Junior and the others one day and have your own goofy moments," Mega Man joked with a sheepish smile. Minato awkwardly nodded back, as he wasn't sure if that was something he was ready to experience, or wanted to experience.

"Well that explains why the indoor park's been unavailable recently." Fuuka said. "They're still doing maintenance from what I remember as well."

"I heard many trees were burned down, lots of arrows were fired, and lots of smash attacks occurred," Aigis stated. "I assume that was the work of them?"

Mega Man nodded, while Minato wondered if what he planted there with Fuuka, back in April was alright. Fuuka thought similarly, as they finally arrived to the teleportation room. Sunset the orange chairman was there, as he was playing on his orange 3DS. However he actually heard them come in, as he paused the game he was playing.

"Well I guess we should get this match started. Good luck to our fighters," Sunset said with a smile. "May the best team win. Of course by that I mean... go Mega Man and Rob!"

Everyone else in the room felt awkward with what they just heard. Mega Man looked embarrassed for what the orange chairman said, while Rob had his glass eyes closed, and the other three just sighed.

"Sorry. Was I being rude?" Sunset asked, as everyone else nodded in response. Sunset sighed as he placed his hands into his pockets. "Right. Sorry about that. I should be more like Golden and Sky, as we always got along best amongst my brothers and they were always so friendly. Anyway have fun in your match, everyone,"

The SEES members stepped on to their own teleporters, while Rob and Mega Man did the same. They were all soon teleported to the Wily Castle arena, as they four stood on top of a green metallic structure in front of a skull shaped castle that had spotlight surround it. Minato and Aigis turned to face the skull shaped fortress as a cold wind passed by, feeling awkward at the sight of such a building. They were transported to the left side of the arena, standing together, while their robotic opponents on the right. Aigis in particular couldn't help but stare at the skull shaped castle with contempt, as she was reminded of the evil Dr. Wily, who used robots for his nefarious schemes to take over the world. Mega Man sighed, as he was still not used to fighting in the presence, with one of Dr. Wily's fortresses, whether it was a recreation or the real deal. He was still trying to still readjust to the fortress's appearance, while Rob focused his attention on Minato and Aigis. Fuuka stood on a revival platform nearby, using her Persona Juno, as she was ready to provide support to Minato and Aigis.

"Today we have another smashing match for our special guests to watch! We have the Blue Metal Hero and the Robotic Operating Buddy, facing off against the Universal Wild Card and... the Yellow Angel!? My what excitement lies before us for our viewing gusts!? This will be a one stock match with all shooting items allowed. Are you ready? Three... two... one, **GO!**" the announcer announced.

**_*Quick Man Stage*_**

Minato rolled his eyes at the fact, Aigis now was given a title that Ken made up for her, that Smash Corp apparently also had in mind, but quickly took out his hammer bludgeon as he went into a defensive stance. Aigis smiled at her title, but quickly focused, as her robotic fingers opened up as she was ready to fire a spray of projectiles at their opponents. She was going to primarily focus on Rob, while Minato was going to focus on Mega Man

"Rob use your Arm Rotor!" Mega Man shouted, as the other robot complied as he went in front of Mega Man, and began to spin his red robotic arms. However Aigis didn't shoot as she merely kept her aim on Rob, who was spinning in front of Mega Man. Minato in the mean time, took out his Evoker as he decided to summon a Persona.

"Let's disrupt them both," Fuuka told Minato, as he pointed it right at his head, causing Rob and Mega Man to look at Minato with disbelief. Fuuka knew by now, that whenever Minato first shows off his Evoker, during a match, his opponents tended to be confused, giving them a good opportunity to do something against them.

"What? That's illogical!?" Mega Man yelled out, while Rob tilted his head in confusion, as they both saw the Evoker that Minato pointed at himself with, as the young blue haired man shouted his following words.

"Naga! Eerie Sound on Rob and Mega Man!" Minato shouted out, as a gunshot sounded out. A blue half snake, half human like creature appeared in front of Minato, as it emitted a sound that only Mega Man and Rob's audio receptors could hear. Mega Man covered where his robotic, ears be with his hands, while Rob's eyes were filled with green static as the poor robot was unsure how to deal with this situation, as it felt it's audio receptors hear such an unknown hostile sound. Aigis in the meantime lined Rob in her sights as she fired a rocket propelled knuckle from her right arm, punching Rob's head as the fist went back to Aigis right arm reconnecting, while Rob's head spun comically around, before Rob used his red robotic arms to grab his head, to place it back in order. Mega Man seeing this immediately decided to make his next move, as he still covered his head and ran towards Aigis. He quickly slid into her, causing Aigis to be knocked into Minato, causing the Naga to disappear.

"Minato! Aigis! Are you two okay?" Fuuka shouted concerned, as both fighters got back up quickly.

"Don't worry. We're pretty durable," Minato said with a smile, while Mega Man looked towards Rob.

"Rob! You operating?" Mega Man shouted, as Rob finally managed to see clearly once more, as the green static was gone from his glass eyes and the old fashioned robot beeped in response. "Glad to hear that my robot buddy. Let's go on the offensive!"

Mega Man and Rob both quickly launched a Metal Blade and Gyro respectively, towards the two Persona users who were on the other side of the arena still. Aigis quickly stepped in front of Minato, as she was ready to protect him. One other good thing about surprising their opponents with an Evoker, was that they could do it once more with Aigis, due to this being a team match.

"Now Aigis!" Fuuka told her, as Aigis nodded. She quickly made a particular motion, as she summoned something of her own, making Mega Man and Rob really surprised once more.

"Athena! Defend us!" Aigis shouted, as she summoned a female warrior, clad in a old fashioned Greek attire, complete with a ring that had a blue shield and held a spear in it's right hand. The Persona used it's large blue shield, to take the Metal Blade and Gyro, causing them to merely deflect into the night sky. Mega Man and Rob were still at a loss, that Aigis was also apparently capable of summoning something as well. Taking this opportunity, Minato immediately dashed towards Mega Man, and swung his hammer bludgeon horizontally, as he knocked the blue robot into Rob. Athena disappeared as both Persona users kept their distance from their robotic opponents.

"That's for the slide against Aigis into me," Minato taunted cordially as both Mega Man and Rob got back up.

"No way. She can summon things like you and block our projectiles?" Mega Man shouted surprised and unsure of what to do, as he personally relied mainly on projectiles to fight. Rob however beeped some noises to Mega Man causing the blue robot to nod. "Guess we'll have to get close and personal. Aigis, you're definitely going down first!"

Rob went up to Mega Man, and decided to help the Blue Bomber get closer. He grabbed Mega Man, and made sure to throw the robot towards Aigis, in a way where the robot wouldn't be hurt from the throw. Aigis had no time to react, as Mega Man used his Flame Sword weapon and caused her to flinch from the hit. Mega Man quickly grabbed her and threw her upwards, as he quickly raised both his hands and transformed them into electrodes, prepared to use a Spark Shock attack as Aigis slowly fell towards him.

"No you don't!" Minato quickly yelled as he quickly took out his bow, and fired an arrow into Mega Man, causing him to flinch. Aigis soon crashed on top of Mega Man, as the female robot pinned the blue robot down. Minato seeing this immediately ran towards the two, as he was ready to use his hammer again on the pinned down Mega Man, but not before being knocked back by a Robo Beam fired by Rob.

"Nice save, but my partner had one as well!" Mega Man shouted, as he struggled under Aigis pinning him down. Mega Man quickly had an idea, as he activated his busters on the ground, causing a Flame Blast to erupt, and it forced Aigis to get off the blue robot. Both sides quickly regrouped as they stared each other down. Mega Man and Rob definitely noted that Aigis's temperature was rather high after being his by his Flame Sword and Flame Burst, with their sensors. "I don't know why but something tells me, you overheat easily,"

Aigis cringed as that was true. While electricity was her true devastating weakness, if she overheated, she would be left very vulnerable as well, and fire related attacks would definitely help her overheat. Suddenly an item finally spawned, and it dropped in front of Mega Man and Rob. It was a Fire Flower, and Mega Man quickly picked it up.

"Time to test if I can overheat you!" Mega Man shouted, as he ran towards Aigis once more, with Rob following behind the blue robot for support.

"Minato, we can't let Aigis overheat. Be her shield now," Fuuka told them both, as Minato took out his Evoker once more and summoned another Persona.

"Hua Po! Defend Aigis!" Minato yelled as another gunshot sound roared out. A red female humanoid spirit, with Asian like clothing, black hair, and wings appeared in front of Aigis, just as Mega Man began using the Fire Flower's flamethrower ability. Mega Man just glared at the spirit, as he kept squeezing the Fire Flower even harder, but yet nothing seemed to be occurring. Rob seeing this, immediately glanced towards Minato as he began to spin a Gyro top, to soon launch at Minato. Aigis however wasn't going to allow this.

"Take this!" Aigis yelled, as she pointed her hands and fired bullets from them, at Rob. Rob was unprepared as this was the first time, anyone in this competition used actual bullets on him. Rob stopped spinning the Gyro as he pulled up his Smash shield, to defend himself. Mega Man grunted in frustration as he these two proved so different from everyone else in the competition, as his Fire Flower finally ran out of fire. He tossed it off the arena and shot a Crash Bomb towards Minato. It landed on him, causing the teen to have Hua Po no longer appear as he stopped using his Persona. Minato however immediately run towards Aigis, as the bomb stuck onto her. She then quickly ran towards Mega Man, and swiftly ran into him, causing the blue robot to have the Crash Bomb, causing the robot no time to defend, as it exploded onto himself. Fuuka knew that Aigis was the faster of the duo, due to her thrusters built into her, so if Minato had a Crash Bomb attached to him, it be a way to get it off fast and hopefully pass it onto Mega Man or Rob. The two teams eyed each other once more, as Mega Man began to pant, while Rob's glass eyes looked a bit damaged.

"It's not over!" Mega Man shouted as he began charging a Charge Shot towards the two, while Rob began spinning another Gyro. Both fired but Aigis once again summoned Athena, as her Persona blocked the shots. "I refuse to give up till Rob and myself are knocked out. We're going to throw everything we have at you two till we either win or lose!"

"We expected nothing less," Minato said confidently, as he admired his opponents spirit, with Aigis nodding in agreement. Aigis shot a rocket fist towards Mega Man, but the blue robot quickly summoned his faithful companion, and used the Rush Coil, as his red robotic dog allowed him to spring into the air. Rob in the meantime moved towards Aigis and grabbed her, then raised himself using his thrusters and quickly slammed her into the ground and released her Minato however was running towards Mega Man, as the blue robot was descending with his hammer on hand. Mega Man on his descent seeing Minato approaching him, fired a Hard Knuckle downwards, hoping to hit him. Minato immediately pulled up his Smash shield and caused the shot to not him him. Both Aigis and Mega Man's robot fists reattached to where they fired from.

"You two are tough. Minato and Aigis... wow." Mega Man said with a tired breath. Suddenly something that caught all their attention happened. An alarm started blaring from Wily Castle, and soon a yellow giant made of slime and a red robotic eye within it's mass appeared.

"The Yellow Devil... it's here," Fuuka said concerned to Minato and Aigis who turned to stare at the deadly combat robot from the castle. Mega Man gulped, as it was time to deal with this thing again, while Rob nodded to acknowledge it's presence. The Yellow Devil soon split itself into multiple slime pieces as it headed towards Mega Man and Rob's side of the arena. This forced both robots to carefully dodge to it's right as the yellow slime balls missed,

"I really hate the Yellow Devil!" Mega Man said tiredly. The Yellow Devil reformed in front of the robot duo as it eyed the Persona duo. Aigis glared at the Yellow Devil as it stared the two Persona users down. Aigis summoned Athena once more as the Yellow Devil fired four energy shots, but Aigis's Persona blocked all four shots.

"It's now going to split. Be careful," Fuuka said, the Yellow Devil split into twenty different slime spheres. Aigis had it easy, as she turned her thrusters on, and decided to fly over where it would split it's body, while Minato smirked. The spheres one by one, came towards him, as he either leaped, ducked, or just dodged all the spheres with absolute precision. Soon the four were staring down the Yellow Devil's yellow slime, as it slowly began to reform into it's giant form A Ray Gun item appeared in front of the four, as Mega Man just panted from exhaustion. Seeing the item, Minato quickly picked it up as the Yellow Devil, finally reformed as it stared at the four fighters. It fired a shot at each before it began to split itself into pieces again. The four soon avoided the Yellow Devil's slimy onslaught once more, as they found themselves on the other side.

"The Yellow Devil really hates us all huh?" Minato joked, while Mega Man sighed.

"Well Dr. Wily isn't the friendliest guy around. His robots share a similar mindset," Mega Man said in response, as the fighters glared at the Yellow Devil. The yellow robot attacked once more, but they all dodged it successfully once more. The robot finally retreated back towards the castle, as Mega Man dashed towards Minato with a Top Spin dash attack. Minato simply dodge rolled away, and fired back with his Ray Gun. Mega Man immediately put up a Leaf Shield barrier to protect him from the shots fired out, while Aigis dashed towards Rob and managed to grab the robot. She decided to return the favor as she lifted the robot into the air, and then slammed Rob into the ground hard, causing miscellaneous robotic sounds to come from the machine.

"Way to go Aigis!" Fuuka shouted with praise. Minato in the meantime eventually ran out of ammo, as he threw his Ray Gun away, as Mega Man kept putting up Leaf Shield barriers to protect himself with. The sound of an alarm blared again, as they all faced Wily Castle once more, as the Yellow Devil from before stared at them once more.

"That Yellow Devil must be eliminated," Aigis said. Minato nodded, while Mega Man and Rob were unsure how to respond.

"Will you guys get the hit, that will take it out, or will we?" Mega Man said quietly to himself as the Yellow Devil attempted to crash onto the Persona users this time. Minato and Aigis dodged it, as it now faced Mega Man and Rob. Rob's LED was fully lit as the robot fired a fully charged Robo Beam at the Yellow Devil's eye. Mega Man began firing at it with his Mega Buster, causing the Yellow Devil to not shoot at them and it's red robot eye actually began to smoke. It was still functional though, as it's slimy mass split and went towards their side. This time, Mega Man and Rob decided to dodge towards the side, where they be behind the Yellow Devil, as it slowly reformed.

"Only Aigis has really powerful projectiles. I don't think they'll destroy it," Mega Man whispered to Rob as the Yellow Devil was almost fully reformed. Minato cringed as he doubted his bow with his arrows were going to make much of a dent. Luckily for him, a Steel Diver item appeared in front of Aigis.

"Aigis, toss the Steel Diver to Minato quick!" Fuuka said, as Aigis picked the submarine shaped gun and tossed it to Minato. The Yellow Devil was now fully reformed as it stared at the two Persona users. Aigis began firing bullets and Minato keep firing mini torpedo shots, with the Steel Diver at the Yellow Devil's eye. Mega Man and Rob looked concerned, as the Yellow Devil's red robot eye was finally destroyed. An explosion soon occurred, as both Mega Man and Rob used their Smash shields, but it was to no avail, as they broke and they got caught in the blast. The two went flying off the edge but they refused to give up. Mega Man had Rush summoned to use Rush Coil once more, but soon found himself not being close enough. Rob however used his Robo Burners, as he quickly grabbed Mega Man, and despite the added weight, barely managed to get them both back on the arena.

"This is going really poorly for us today," Mega Man said panting as his energy levels felt really low. Rob could barely nod back in response. "You guys are really tough."

However what could have been their salvation finally appeared. It was the Drill item. Mega Man grabbed the item that consisted of a Drill attached to a yellow handle that could fire and release it. Mega Man immediately fired it at Aigis. Mega Man knew that anyone caught in the drill would usually either get carried off the arena, depending on the layout. It was a very powerful and useful item.

"Aigis! Try to reflect it back!" Fuuka shouted, as this was a really deadly item. Aigis nodded as she summoned her Persona Athena.

"Kill Rush!" Aigis shouted, as her Persona used her shield to rush into the drill, sending it back towards Mega Man. Rob seeing this, immediately went in front of the blue robot and used his Arm Rotor, and reflected the shot towards Minato.

"Minato, get ready!" Fuuka said, as Minato nodded. He smirked as he was also ready to play the reflecting game as well as he used his Evoker for another Persona summon.

"Trumpeter! Use Tetrakarn now!" Minato yelled, as a skeleton like being adorned in white robes, a circular hat, held a large trumpet appeared. It placed the trumpet in it's mouth and immediately used it, summoning a physical barrier appeared in front of Minato. The Drill hitting the barrier, reflected it back towards Rob who had no time to react. Soon the old fashioned robot was hit hard, as he was carried off the arena and was soon gone.

"Rob no!" Mega Man yelled disappointed as he looked toward where Rob was carried off out of the arena. Suddenly, Mega Man heard Minato clear his throat loudly which made the robot turn around to face them, before he froze in his tracks, as Aigis was now holding an item that must have spawned as he looked away.

"I believe I have acquired the Gust Bellows item," Aigis said with a smile as she held the vacuum like item, that blew powerful wind towards opponents and aimed it towards Mega Man. Mega Man immediately started running towards her, but she activated it, and soon powerful winds began to blow at Mega Man. He kept running as he refused to get blown off the arena.

"If I can handle Robot Masters like Air Man, I can handle this," Mega Man shouted, as he knew this item was really strong.

"Minato... I think it's time we end this match. Add onto Aigis's windy assault!" Fuuka told him, as he was taking out his Evoker for what was going to be the last time for this match.

"Trumpeter I need you again! Garudyne at Mega Man!" Minato yelled out, as he summoned the same Persona from before. Soon Aigis's windy assault, courtesy of the Gust Bellows item she was holding, had support from Minato's Persona. Mega Man was now starting to slip as he felt himself being pushed back.

"It's like if Air Man, Wind Man, and Tornado Man all decided to gang up on me at the same time!" Mega Man yelled in frustration, as he soon felt himself blown off the arena. Mega Man summoned Rush one last time, to desperately get back on, but was still blown away and was soon gone.

"**GAME!**" the announcer yelled out. Aigis placed the Gust Bellows down and Minato smirked as his Persona went away, and Fuuka cheered happily. Soon all of them were soon back at the teleportation room, as Rob and Mega Man looked worn out. The SEES members shook hands respectfully with the two robots, and they all noticed a note next to a black ink stamper with the Smash Bros symbol. Fuuka walked up to it, and began to read it out loud.

"As soon as I saw Ms. Blonde robot grab the Gust Bellows, I knew this match was over. I hope you all had fun... even if I still wanted Mega Man and Rob to win. Oh well. Stamp it yourself Mr. Arisato, I'm off to work on my high score in my office. PS-Mega Man bring the ink stamp back to the office after Mr. Arisato stamps his orange ticket," Fuuka read. Minato took out his orange order ticket, as he grabbed the black ink stamp and stamped his ticket with it, then handed Mega Man the black ink stamp.

"Great job. Good luck Minato. It was also a pleasure meeting you Fuuka. Also really nice to fight against you Aigis. I look forward to hanging out with you all in the future," Mega Man said. Rob nodded, to show his similar viewpoint, and soon the two robots were gone, as Rob decided to accompany Mega Man to drop the ink stamp back.

"Mega Man and Rob...They'll be interesting to hang out with in the future," Minato said with a friendly smirk.

"I look forward to it," Aigis said happily, with a smile. She was finally going to hang out with another robot besides Labrys on a daily basis. Though it did make her wonder how their future interactions was going to be. Rob being the quiet stereotypical helper robot, while Mega Man was more like her, yet younger, male, and with his own view on things.

"Same." Fuuka said happily, as she pulled the other two into a group hug. They soon headed off to the elevators, as the fifth of The Master's orders were completed, and they had two more buddies to look forward to in the future. This time of the operating robotic kind.

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**So what did you guys think? I hope I did this battle justice, and for everyone involved. Notes as always.  
**

**1\. The whole laws of robotics thing, refers to how during the ending of Mega Man 7, Mega Man actually considers killing Dr. Wily. Of course that didn't occur as later games happened, but it was an interesting topic to bring up since Aigis is working under different standards due to her own circumstances.**

**2\. The Quick Man stage theme, is a remix that's only in the Wii U version of Smash Bros, despite Wily Castle being in both versions of the 4th Smash Bros games. Though I recommend any remix really, they're all so good in my own personal opinion.**

**3\. Minato doesn't fight with guns, so for Aigis's counterpart for the orders, I decided to take a different approach. She's a robot, and it was a criteria that both Rob and Mega Man fit, so I went with them as her counterparts for this team battle.  
**

**4\. The event Mitsuru refers to, is when a certain Ikutski decided to hack into Aigis, for his own plans in mind, during Persona 3. **

**5\. That whole scene in the park with the other fighters, was a way to also mention them. Ms. Aran being Samus, Ms. Toadstool being Peach, and such. It's also nice to hear how the daily shenanigans of the Smash cast is going around as well, for fun and humor. That Bowser Jr. and his trouble making...  
**

**6\. Mega Man's casual clothes and appearance reference Mega Man Powered Up. A remake of Mega Man 1, made for the PSP, as that's how he appears without his famous blue armor and blue helmet, when not wearing them and all.  
**

**Well that about wraps it up. I hope you guys enjoyed, and if you have anything you want to say, don't be afraid to voice your thoughts, opinions, concerns, and such. Till next chapter!**


	13. Bark! Quack! Boom! Persona! Huh?

**Unlucky number Chapter 13 here! Admittedly, this chapter was a bit awkward to write, considering the nature of the fighters involved. As always, if you got something you want to say, comment, or discuss don't be afraid to do so. Also enjoy as always!  
**

* * *

June passed as if it were nothing. Aigis found herself hanging out with Rob and Mega Man a lot. Mega Man in particular was glad to have an older sister figure to relate with, which Aigis happily filled. When the park finally reopened for revisions, Minato and Fuuka immediately checked it out to see if what they planted in April was alright. The flowers they planted were gone (As a certain Koopa King who was chasing after Marth, Ike, and Little Mac the other day, was not afraid to breathe fire as he chased after them), but luckily the spot where they planted the tree seed remained unscathed. The two decided to just spend time, replanting flowers to the park when Minato wasn't busy training to help make it nicer. Teal and blue colored flowers they were admittedly biased to planting. They along with everyone else continued to have fun with the others in Smash Tower, as they found themselves using the luxuries and offerings of Smash Tower more, since they still waited for the opportunity to go outside.

July 1st came by as the members of SEES found themselves in the office of the eight chairman. This time they saw the cyan chairman, sleeping in his seat, as he snored loudly. They all stared blankly at him, as he seemed to be sleeping blissfully. Minato rolled his eyes, as he took out his Evoker and walked up to the cyan chairman. He placed the Evoker nearby the sleeping cyan chairman, and gave him a very rude awakening as the sound of a gunshot roared out.

"Holy crap!" Sky yelled out frightened, as the cyan chairman woke up, holding his chest in a panicked state and he then turned to see the members of SEES in their summer attire. "Crud. That was purely my bad. I've been getting more lazy then laid back lately. Shouldn't have been sleeping on the job. Umm... right. Here's your next order ticket Mr. Arisato and please never do that again,"

The cyan wearing chairman passed a cyan colored order ticket to Minato, and the chairman sheepishly grinned. He felt pretty embarrassed for allowing the teenager to get the drop on him like that. Minato began to read his ticket, as his facial expression turned into one of real confusion this time around.

"I'm going to be facing off against... Duck Hunt at a place called... Duck Hunt?" Minato said out loud. Everyone but Sky looked extremely confused, as the cyan wearing chairman smirked

"Heh. Let's get the confusion out the way. You're fighting a dog who teams up with a duck. They're known as Duck Hunt together. Weird I know. The arena is a place where you hunt ducks hence it's name as well. Weird naming scheme I admit. Why don't we just call the new arena, Duck Hunt Field to make it easier?" Sky said without a care in the world. Everyone looked at the chairman as if he were crazy, except Koromaru who tilted his head in curiosity. This was by far the most bizarre fighter they've heard about in the competition so far, and that was saying something. "I know this might be the most crazy fighter you've heard about so far. Weird I know... again, but just keep reading Mr. Arisato,"

"All gear based items will be available on a low spawn rate. These items are the Franklin Badge, Back Shield, Screw Attack, Super Leaf, and Rocket Belt. This fight will take place... on July 3rd during 3PM. Mr. Arisato is to meet his opponent at the teleportation room by that time," Minato finished reading, while the members of SEES all noted the date this next order match was taking place in.

"July 3rd? That's this Friday!" Junpei shouted surprised. "Minato gets at least about one week before his previous orders, but this is pretty freaking fast. What gives?"

"The Master has his reasons. Though if I had to guess... the 4th of July is this Saturday. Perhaps he rather Mr. Arisato get to enjoy the holiday and not have to worry about his order prior to it... maybe. Also no interviews with the dog and duck team," Sky answered with a yawn. "Of course, if Mr. Arisato can't handle his next order match having so little preparation time, I got a pen ready with his contract and-"

"Save it," Minato said simply. "I'm still not signing your contract. Don't worry everyone. I rather get these out of the way anyway, so I''m fine with the date. Duck Hunt huh?"

The rest of SEES nodded, while Koromaru began to bark loudly. Aigis hearing the dog, nodded as she translated for the Shiba Inu.

"Koromaru-san would like to help train you. Being a fast dog himself, he says he can have you ready against... the team of dog and duck known as Duck Hunt," Aigis stated. Minato and Fuuka looked towards each other and they nodded, while everyone else looked unsure.

"Not to knock Koromaru, but you sure you up for it boy?" Akihiko asked. Koromaru began to bark once more, showing that this was something he wanted to do.

"Koromaru-san says, he wants to be able to contribute as well, as the others who have already went have." Aigis replied.

"Don't worry boy. I trust you," Minato said calmly, with a confident smile.

"You'll be a wonderful trainer to Minato-kun. You're such a good boy Koro-chan!" Fuuka said happily, and with a very warm smile. Koromaru went to the two as they hugged and petted the friendly dog who was very happy to hear that from them, while had you been able to see behind Sky's cyan sunglasses, he rolled his cyan colored eyes from what he just heard and saw.

"Getting trained by a dog to beat a dog and a duck working together. What will life think of next? Anyway Mr. Arisato... is that so? Whatever dude. Even if you beat the dog and duck you still got two more orders from The Master to go." Sky said without a care in the world. "I've seen the order tickets for those two from my brothers Fuchsia and Ash, and you're definitely in for some tough competition for those two last order tickets. But whatever. I guess that about settles it. You teenagers can go now. I want to get back to my nap,"

The members of SEES were about to leave, till they heard Sky call them back. They turned around as the cyan wearing chairman yawned before he spoke to them once more.

"Wait... I forgot to talk about something with all of you. About all of your request about being able to go outside of Smash Tower... so I know my brother Sunset suggested that if you beat the fifth and sixth order from The Master, we consider letting you out... but the rest of our siblings aside from Golden declined and said you can't," Sky said. The members of SEES either looked disappointed or frustrated depending on the individual.

"What? That's so lame," Yukari groaned in frustration. "Don't promise something unless you can keep it!"

"So you guys are just keeping us forever in this tower?" Ken asked, sounding really disappointed.

"Not exactly. We came to an agreement of some sorts and decided to offer something else in return, if Mr. Arisato proves himself in one other task," Sky replied.

"What are you doing to make this up for us?" Shinjiro asked, as he wanted to know what they had in mind.

"Also, what's this one other task?" Mitsuru asked, skeptical of the cyan chairman.

"Don't worry, it's nothing crazy and he would might have gotten to it anyway, if he beat the sixth of The Master's orders. Here's the deal. All my bros besides Sunset, Golden, and Azure to an extent aren't the most reasonable people. They refuse to budge on letting you guys out, but we all came to a compromise. So what we worked out was... if Mr. Arisato completes the seventh of The Master's orders... not that I want that to happen, but if it does end up happening, we'll let you guys have a vacation trip at what's considered the most famous island resort in this world. The famous island resort, Wuhu Island!"

"Wuhu Island?" Aigis asked curiously. "A famous island resort?"

"Yes. Also known as the Sports Resort. Insanely popular tourist attraction. Tons of people go there, especially during the Summer for a ton of fun and relaxation. You have tons of different sports, activities, and attractions you can't normally do for... well someone who doesn't live at an island resort. How does that sound? After Mr. Arisato completes his seventh order in August, we can set you guys up all for a trip there for some R&amp;R time," Sky stated with a pearly white smile.

"While I think it's not cool how we can't go outside... that sounds awesome!" Junpei answered excitedly. "Sounds like the trip we all took to Yakushima during the Summer of 2009!"

"Though I advise no stupid plans, like your so called Operation Babe Hunt at Wuhu Island's beaches. You hear me, Mr. Iori?" Sky said with a yawned smirk. Junpei froze on the spot, surprised that the chairman knew about it, while Akihiko and Minato sighed as they were reminded of that embarrassing moment, Junpei put them through. Ken, Koromaru, and Shinjiro looked confused as what this so called operation was (since they hadn't joined or in Shinjiro's case, rejoined SEES yet when this occurred), while Yukari, Mitsuru, and Fuuka just whistled, trying not to comment and Aigis recalled how she met them all there at Yakushima. "Don't act so surprised Mr. Iori. Remember that besides The Master, us chairmen do thorough research on everything and everyone that gets involved with our competition. In this particular case, everything Mr. Arisato and his companions were involved in. Every single detail, whether it be superfluous or not. Anyway... one last thing to also make it up, for you all for not being able to go outside,"

Sky snapped his fingers, and soon what appeared to be a capsule machine, filled with white spheres that were all marked with names in black ink appeared on the large conference table in the room. The capsule machine had a red lever attached to it, along with a slot where one would put in coins. They all stared at it, unsure what to make of it.

"That looks like a capsule machine with toys you see in a supermarket," Ken asked surprised, as why the cyan chairman had such a thing on the table.

"Mr. Arisato has so far been properly introduced to Pit, Dark Pit, Ike, Little Mac, Marth, Lucina, Rob, and finally Mega Man. That's eight fighters out of the many we have in our competition. What I'm about to allow Mr. Arisato to do is... allow him to potentially learn about two new fighters besides his Duck Hunt opponents this Friday. In this capsule machine are white spheres, which are all labeled with names of fighters I did not just mention and are not part of the remaining orders. He's going to play a bit of a lottery game. I figure it be a nice way to make up for not keeping my brother Sunset's promise about not being able to go outside." Sky explained. They were all surprised by what they just heard. Sky then handed two gold coins to Minato, that had the Smash Bros symbol on them.

"Simply place a coin inside, pull the lever, and see which name you get. Simple as that," Sky explained. Minato looked at the rest of his SEES companions, and they all nodded back to him, as he turned to face the lottery capsule machine. He placed one of the golden coins into the machine, and pulled the red lever. Soon a white sphere came out, that Sky promptly took to look over.

"So you guys can now learn about... Kirby!" Sky announced. They all recognized that name, as Starfy's best friend. "You have one coin left, who are you going to learn about next, Mr. Arisato?"

Minato was about to place his remaining golden coin in, but then he refrained as he looked toward Fuuka. He then handed her the golden coin, and nodded towards her. Fuuka felt shy, as she blushed but nodded back with a smile towards her blue haired lover, who smiled towards her now. She went up towards the lottery capsule machine and placed the coin in, and she slowly pulled the lever. The lottery capsule machine soon spat out another white sphere, which Sky took to examine as well.

"Besides Kirby, you guys can all learn about... the Wii Fit Trainer! Also known as Ms. Fit. Well that's about it, unless you guys have any further questions." Sky said. They all recognized the Ms. Fit part of that name. So this was the fitness trainer lady, who Little Mac had a crush on apparently.

"Thank you so much. You've actually been very nice to us so far," Fuuka said gently.

"It's whatever. Actually Azure came up with the lottery idea to make it up to you. Said something about being fair since you guys are no longer going outside besides the Wuhu Island trip, assuming Mr. Arisato completes his sixth and seventh order from The Master," Sky said lazily with a yawn. "My blue wearing bro and I also get along well, besides myself with Sunset and Golden."

"Fitting since Fuuka and myself, match you and your blue chairman brother's colors," Minato said with a smirk. Minato being associated with the color blue, while Fuuka was associated with teal, which was close to cyan.

"Yeah whatever Mr. Arisato. I still want you to lose, so you sign your contract and you better not be insulting the rest of my brothers you hear me? Also you better be respecting The Master as well. Now get out of the office and get ready for your match with the dog and duck this Friday. I'm going back to my nap before you guys came in," Sky said with a slight scowl, as he yawned and went back to nap in his office chair. The members of SEES all left the office as they all wore a smile on their face.

"While learning that we are still unable to go outside of Smash Tower is disappointing, being able to learn about two more fighters in this competition besides Arisato's opponents this Friday, has proven very fruitful," Mitsuru said with a smile.

"Plus Wuhu Island in August!" Junpei said excitedly.

"But Minato still has to beat... Duck Hunt and his opponents in August before we can think of that Junpei," Yukari reminded. "Speaking of Duck Hunt... a dog and a duck working together huh? So bizarre,"

"It's what it is. I like to learn more about who Kirby and... Wii Fit Trainer are." Akihiko stated. "Starfy's friend and the girl my sparring partner Little Mac has a crush on huh?"

"Let's focus on Duck Hunt before we learn about them," Shinjiro suggsted. "We have limited time before Minato's next match."

They all agreed with that. They would have time to learn about Kirby and Wii Fit Trainer later, but for now they had to focus on Duck Hunt. Koromaru barked loudly, as he caught their attention. Aigis heard this as she translated for Koromaru, and spoke for the canine.

"Koromaru-san says he'll be the best trainer, a dog can be. He's sure you can beat the Duck Hunt fighters," Aigis said. Minato and Fuuka petted the dog in response, as Koromaru barked happily. The SEES members split as Minato, Fuuka, and Aigis took Koromaru to the gym. Koromaru clashed against Minato for training. Getting used to fighting a canine like opponent was going to be something different he was going to have to adapt soon. Plus he had to get used to all the gear based items that were going to be in this match, which he also practiced with. Fuuka in particular liked seeing Minato use the Super Leaf, as he temporarily had cute raccoon ears and a tail transformed on him, something she made sure to snap a picture of him with on. Minato made sure to have her try one as well, since he definitely wanted to see how much cuter his Fuuka could be, and she felt embarrassed as well. Still, they were happy to be together, and to just be hanging out and helping each other, with Koromaru as well.

* * *

Everyone except Koromaru and Fuuka (due to having time to process this, due to her research) was staring blankly at the holographic model that depicted a dog with brown fur and and a mallard duck with blue feathered wings, and a pink feathered head above the dog. This was the so called Duck Hunt, as it was now the next morning, where they reviewed their opponents in their own conference room as usual.

"So that's Duck Hunt... a dog and a duck," Akihiko said blankly, as he was still not sure how to react. Silence fell upon the room aside from Koromaru, barking happily, at another doggie friend to play with possibly in the future, though the Shiba Inu wondered if the duck be friendly towards him. Pit and Dark Pit were angels. Ike, Marth, and Lucina were warriors from a currently medieval world. Little Mac was a boxer. Rob was an assistant robot, and Mega Man was turned into a combat robot, both from separate worlds. Duck Hunt however, was easily the most bizarre fighter from who they were officially introduced to so far.

"Well then... Yamagishi, why don't you describe... the dog and duck's... biography," Mitsuru said, with herself even sounding unsure of what to expect. Fuuka nodded as she began to speak of the dog and duck.

"Got it Mitsuru sempai! But before I do so, I think we should come up with a name for both the dog and the duck so it's easier for us to identify them both. From what I researched they don't seem to really have any official names, aside from their team name of Duck Hunt," Fuuka suggested. They all thought for moments before Shinjiro came up with what they should call them.

"Let's just call them Doggie and Ducky," Shinjiro suggested. "Keep things simple you know?"

"Works for me." Minato said in response as he shrugged his shoulders. Everyone else also just shrugged in agreement, as it technically worked. "Now I guess it's time for their biography,"

"I guess I'm fine with that. Doggie is a hunting dog used for hunting ducks and Ducky is a duck that would normally be hunted by duck hunters, but they work together for some reason. That's pretty much it for their background information from what I researched. But in this tournament, Doggie teams up with Ducky, and they along with a third teammate fight together,"

"Wait a minute Fuuka. I think your math might be worse then mine for once. Doggie and his partner Ducky make up a team of two. A team of two being a duo. They be a trio if their was a third team member, but I don't see a third team member," Junpei said with confusion and concern.

"I know what I'm going to say sounds weird but... during battles, Doggie and Ducky have a third team member you can't see. A mysterious sharpshooter helps the two out during the battle," as Fuuka turned off the holographic model showcasing the dog and duck, and played a video showcasing Duck Hunt's attacks. Confusion befell the remaining members of SEES once more upon hearing this, but soon they saw the dog and duck attack in various ways, whether it be Doggie biting to grab onto Sandbag and throwing the sentient bag of sand, or Ducky who pecked at his opponents with his duck beak. One thing the members of SEES noticed was that the duck was always on the dog, never separating for anything. But oddly enough what stood out the most was three spectacular attacks. Doggie with Ducky on him, would make a signal motion in front, upwards, or downwards while on the ground causing targeting reticules to appear in front, above, or both left and right of the dog and duck, and gunshots fired out.

"What the hell?" Akihiko said surprised. "Is this... the only thing the... sharpshooter does for Doggie and Ducky? Also who's the sharpshooter?"

"No. The sharpshooter also assists for two other attacks. Every other attack, the team of Duck Hunt are responsible for on their own. I'm assuming the sharpshooter is Doggie's hunter owner. Don't worry. I asked Pit about this fighter, and he says the sharpshooter only shows up for matches," Fuuka explained. They all nodded, but the fact a hunting sharpshooter who showed up to shoot for his hunting dog, and a duck the hunter normally hunt, was only adding on to the absurdity of this fighter. Minato however just sighed and smirked.

"Well everything goes in Smash. This is going to be an interesting match," Minato replied confidently. "What are those other two techniques that team Duck Hunt have from their sharpshooter?

"Duck Hunt also have some other special techniques of their own. They have a technique called the Trick Shot, where Doggie will summon an explosive oil can that he kicks and the sharpshooter can keep shooting to launch towards opponents. If It connects with an opponent, or after some time has passed, the can will explode. The sharpshooter can only shoot it so many times before it explodes though, so that's another thing to keep in mind." Fuuka explained. The video showed Doggie kicking the a red and white can labeled "Hogan's Alley," on it. Then the explosive can was shot, launching it closer towards Sandbag. The off camera sharpshooter shot it again, and launched the can at Sandbag causing an explosion.

"I'm so glad this shooter doesn't directly shoot at his opponents... right?" Yukari asked.

"The sharpshooter will only fire if the duo signal for an attack that requires his assistance from what Pit told me. Besides the Trick Shot, the sharpshooter will also help out for another technique called Clay Shooting. Doggie will throw a clay pigeon from his mouth. The sharpshooter will then fire at the clay pigeon with a volley of three gunshots. The first two shots tend to miss, but the third shot will usually hit from the sharpshooter," Fuuka explained. Ken however raised his hand, as Fuuka signaled for the young SEES member to speak.

"What's a clay pigeon?" Ken asked. The rest nodded in response. None of them were familiar with this new terminology.

"Apparently... clay pigeons are the names of small white discs made out of clay, used as targeting practice that hunters like to practice with. Known as clay pigeon or clay target shooting, it's a real life activity where people will partake in shooting at clay disks." Fuuka explained. Soon the video showed Doggie holding a clay pigeon in it's mouth, before it threw it towards Sandbag. Soon three gunshots fired out, as it neared Sandbag, blasting the sentient bag of sand, a new one.

"Well I'm glad that's the end of the shooting attacks from Duck Hunt... right?" Shinjiro asked. He wasn't exactly the biggest fan of firearms, considering what a certain Strega member did to him. Fuuka sadly shook her head for a no. "I knew it was too good to be true,"

"Duck Hunt has one more special technique that is very... different as well. It's called the Wild Gunman and... well you'll see," Fuuka said. Doggie with Ducky still on his back, stood nearby Sandbag and stood up on it's two hind legs, as the canine pointed at Sandbag. Suddenly in front of the dog and duck duo, stood a stereotypical cowboy with a handgun, that yelled out "Draw!" before firing at the bag before disappearing. The team of Duck Hunt repeated the maneuver four more times, and each time, four different looking cowboys showed up and used their own firearms on the Sandbag as well. "Each of the five Wild Gunman will fire in front of Duck Hunt, when they signal for them like that. However their aim is a little off, and they need to be somewhat close to hit. Also if they get hit before they can fire their guns, the gunman will be knocked away, and Doggie and Ducky will have to wait a bit, before summoning another of the gunmen,"

"Doggie and Ducky can summon... gunmen!?" Yukari stated with shock. "What!?"

"Truly an interesting fighter, the team of Duck Hunt together are. It's like summoning a Persona," Aigis remarked. Everyone but Minato, Fuuka, Aigis, and Koromaru cringed, as it was technically comparable in some way. In this case, one out of five wild western outlaws for a dog and duck fighting.

"Finally, if they need to go upwards or get back onto an arena if knocked off, they have the Duck Jump, where Ducky will grab Doggie and try to carry him upwards for a bit by flying. Eventually they'll get tired so they will land back down eventually. Kind of similar to Pit and Dark Pit's Power of Flight they invoke," Fuuka explained as they saw the duck pick up the dog, and flapped his wings, and somehow managed to get some distance before tiredly falling back to he ground. "Guess Ducky is pretty strong to lift Doggie, even for a bit,"

"This fighter gets more and more... unique the more we learn. I guess we should wrap up with their Final Smash even if it's not coming into play for this match," Mitsuru said, feeling even more bewildered from before.

"Their Final Smash is called NES Zapper Posse. I'm not sure what NES stands for, or what a Zapper is, but nonetheless, like every Final Smash, it's a powerful attack that should be avoided at all costs," Fuuka said. Soon the video showcased the canine and mallard breaking a Smash Ball open. The two got near Sandbag, and Duck Hunt made a similar pose he did for summoning a gunmen. However a flock of ducks flew into Sandbag, and soon the bag of sentient sand was transported to what appeared to be the Wild West. Sandbag stood in front of a bunch of cardboard cutouts of stereotypical gangsters, and a bunch of explosive cans nearby. The five gunmen all opened fire, and Sandbag was caught in a storm of bullets and explosions. Soon Sandbag was back in the white training room, as it was sent flying while Doggie and Ducky could both be seen laughing on the ground, as the video ended.

Everyone stared blankly at each other, as the video ended. This fighter's Final Smash was needless to say, rather spectacular despite the absurdity it presented. Soon Fuuka put on another video that depicted Duck Hunt Field. It was a very basic looking arena. It was a large grassy field, with a dirt road path in front of the large amount of green grass that grew. To the left, a tree grew from the ground that had five separate branches with a a bundle of green leaves on each branch. The right side of the arena had a large green bush. Other then that, the arena seemed relatively normal.

"Fighters can use the leafs on the tree branches, and the bush as platforms. Other then that, it's a relatively normal arena. I here ducks like to hang out in the area sometimes as well," Fuuka explained.

"Well at least Duck Hunt's home arena doesn't have any real hazards so I guess that's good," Junpei said with a sheepish smile. Koromaru just barked excitedly as Aigis translated for the Shiba Inu.

"Koromaru-san says that he looks forward to hanging out with Doggie and Ducky in the future and will make sure to train Minato very hard today." Aigis stated. Everyone else just sighed, while Minato and Fuuka just looked towards each other and Koromaru with a smile. This was still going to be another fight, Minato had to win, as unorthodox as the fighter was. Besides getting used to fighting a dog (granted Duck Hunt's fighting style was very different from Koromaru's fighting style). Plus he still had to practice with all the gear based items, that were permitted for this match.

* * *

The day quickly passed, as Minato, Fuuka, Koromaru, and Aigis headed to the teleportation room to actually meet their opponents for once. They were also going to ask the cyan chairman (who presumably should be in that room) if Aigis and Koromaru were permitted to watch the match live as well. Koromaru wanted to give advice, and Aigis would be his translator. They soon arrived, and saw their opponent team, and the light blue chairman over there. Doggie looked curiously at Koromaru as the SEES group approached the dog and duck.

"Nice to meet you two. Good luck. May my human friends and myself pet you two?" Minato asked. Doggie barked happily and Ducky quacked happily in response. Aigis looked toward Minato and Fuuka and nodded, showing that the two were fine with this. The three petted the two animals, while Koromaru barked happily with Doggie and Ducky, as the animals conversed. Sky just yawned as he looked at his watch and wondered how long introductions was going to take between the fighters.

"Can we get started? I got paperwork I rather get out of the way, regarding holiday stuff tomorrow, and I want to get my daily nap in as soon as possible," Sky said lethargically. Aigis raised her right hand, causing Sky to point at her to speak.

"I want to ask, if it was permitted for myself and Koromaru-san to watch the fight on a revival platform?" Aigis asked.

"Yeah whatever. As long as you two don't interfere in the fight, beyond saying stuff to Mr. Arisato... or barking for your dog's case... then yeah you can go right ahead with that," Sky replied nonchalantly. "Alright then. Let's get this match under way already. Get blown out or shot out of the arena already Mr. Arisato!"

Minato rolled his eyes at what he heard, Koromaru and Doggie snarled at Sky (while Ducky quacked loudly), while Fuuka and Aigis just sighed. Soon Minato, the dog and duck of Duck Hunt, Fuuka, Aigis, and Koromaru stood on a teleportation platform and were taken to Duck Hunt Fields. Minato stood to the left side of the grassy field arena, nearby the tree with the five tree branches with leaves, while the duo of Doggie and Ducky stood to the right. That mysterious sharpshooter was probably viewing the battle from somewhere now, ready to help his animal companions out, as they made up the fighter trio known as Duck Hunt. Fuuka along with Aigis and Koromaru all stood on a rather large revival platform, as Fuuka summoned her Persona Juno, for analysis and communication once more.

"Today's another smashing Summer day, as we have another match to watch! For our special guests watching, we have the famous dog, duck, and shooter team that make up Duck Hunt facing off against the blue haired teenager of multiple faces. Who's going to be the dog eating the other dog, in this match? Find out right now! Three... two... one, **GO!**" the announcer announced.

_*** Duck Hunt Medley ***_

Doggie immediately used a Trick Shot as the dog kicked out an explosive can. Ducky used his duckbill beak, to hit the explosive can towards Minato before it started being shot from the mysterious sharpshooter. Minato seeing this was prepared as he took out his spear. For this match, he was going to need the distance. He smacked the explosive can back towards Duck Hunt, causing the dog and duck to panic. They immediately guarded with their Smash shield, and this caused the duck to quack loudly in annoyance. Koromaru barked and Aigis translated.

"Koromaru-san said that was that a smart move," Aigis said. Duck Hunt immediately retaliated by Doggie, tossing a clay pigeon from his mouth towards Minato. This was something he opted to leap, as just barely avoided getting hit by the gunshots that broke apart the clay disk. The animal members of Duck Hunt immediately dashed towards Minato as he landed, and Doggie bit onto Minato's uniform. Ducky immediately pecked at Minato's torso, causing the blue haired teenager to feel the annoying pecking sensation, before Doggie threw him upwards. The duo was about to signal for the sharpshooter to shoot upwards but Minato had his own plans in mind. Using his spear, he stabbed it into the ground, and held his high position, just barely avoiding being shot once more, as the bullets barely hit his feet. Minato quickly leaped back to the ground and picked up his speat as he stared at the dog and duck fighter pair. Doggie quickly snickered before making a pose, that summoned a Wild Gunman in front of him.

"Get ready Minato!" Fuuka alerted to the blue haired teen, who quickly nodded and smirked in response. He took out his own Evoker, causing Doggie and Ducky to wonder if he was going to actually "draw," against the Wild Gunman they just summoned. However both barked and quacked respectively in confusion as they saw Minato point it at his own head.

"Kohryu! Null Pierce!" Minato yelled out as as a gunshot roared out. A long white serpentine white dragon appeared in front of Minato, as the Wild Gunman yelled out "Draw!" and fired at Minato. The bullet did nothing as Doggie and Ducky stared back confused at Minato who chuckled. The dog and duck weren't sure if they were more shocked by what Minato summoned or the fact he managed to make the Wild Gunman's bullet, useless with what he just did. Ducky lifted Doggie into the air using, a Duck Jump, as the dog and duck landed on a tree branch on the left side of the arena. Doggie began to kick another explosive can to prepare the sharpshooter, another Trick Shot to be launched towards Minato. However Minato quickly took out his bow, and with a extremely sleek and quick motion, shot the explosive can with an arrow, back towards Duck Hunt, and the dog and duck were too dumbstruck by the fast retaliation as they felt an explosion, and plummeted out of the tree and slammed back on the ground below. Koromaru began to bark happily once more.

"Koromaru-san, said that was extremely good reaction on your part, Minato-san." Aigis stated as the two animal members of Duck Hunt that were currently on the actual battlefield quickly pulled themselves back up, looking visibly annoyed. Doggie growled in frustration while Ducky began to quack with similar feelings, while Minato just smirked. However his expression soon changed, as a Screw Attack item dropped nearby the animals of Duck Hunt. That gear based badge item according to Fuuka's research, allowed whoever placed it upon themselves, to jump and automatically allow damaging somersaults (whether the user was already capable or not) to occur. It would be only temporarily, but it was still something to keep in mind. Ducky immediately grabbed the Screw Attack badge with his beak, and placed it onto his dog buddy. Fuuka seeing this immediately told Minato, the strategy they had, for situations like this.

"Time to play hide and seek Minato!" Fuuka relayed to Minato who looked towards the big grass behind the dirt road he stood on. He immediately rushed into them, hoping to lose the animal members of Duck Hunt, and make the time for the gear based item, they have wasted. However Doggie quickly ran towards the spot where Minato was and began sniffing his nose. Koromaru began to bark immediately upon seeing this, as Aigis translated.

"Koromaru stated that Doggie of Duck Hunt, is using his tracking skill to find you Minato. Be careful and aware of that!" Aigis shouted, as Minato who was in the large grass cringed upon hearing that. He wasn't expecting this, yet he felt he should have, with dealing with Duck Hunt. Fuuka however quickly said something that made him feel more confident again.

"Maybe if we can mess with Doggie's sense of smell, we can null his tracking skills as well. Do you have any Personas with a Foul Breath ability?" Fuuka asked to Minato. He then smirked and thanked Fuuka, as he knew the right Persona for this job due to her suggestion. He quickly took out his Evoker, and pointed it at his head, for the appropriate Persona he was going to use.

"Inugumi! Foul Breath!" Minato ordered with a confident smirk. Doggie stopped sniffing, as Ducky alerted Doggie to the presence of the summoned creature that easily was visible, despite the tall green grass. Inugami was a very long and tall dog like creature, with a white body, but with a black hostile head with red eyes. Inugumi released a Foul Breath indeed, as gaseous fumes could be seen leaving it's mouth and effecting the tall grass to have such a stench as well. Doggie immediately stopped sniffing, as the smell was awful, while Ducky began to quack in annoyance, as the duck's duckbill also picked up the wretched scent. Minato used one of his hands to hold his nose, and was thankfully used to holding his breath due to being part of the swimming team as one of many sports teams he participated during his time in Gekkoukan, so he didn't have to deal with this scent as something major. The animal members of Duck Hunt immediately rushed out of the tall grass as they didn't want to be near the smelly tall grass. The Screw Attack badge item finally fell off, causing Doggie to whimper from not being able to use it at all. Ducky immediately quacked towards Doggie, as the mallard duck had an idea in mind, which Doggie responded with a smirk. Doggie kicked a can towards the grass, and barked in a particular way, that the sharpshooter assisting, understood. The sharpshooter fired the can in a way, causing it to instantly explode, burning some of the grass away. This was a variation on the usual Trick Shot, and was known as a High Explosive Shot.

"Uh oh. They're trying to remove the grass, so you can't hide in it anymore," Fuuka stated, concerned. That was something none of them saw coming. She quickly tried to think of what Minato should do, but he told her something, that helped her regain her confidence. Minato quickly got out from the grass and exposed himself. The animal members of Duck Hunt saw this, as Doggie quickly did another Clay Shooting as the dog threw a clay pigeon towards Minato. However before the sharpshooter could get three shots off onto the clay pigeon, Minato actually ran towards the clay pigeon, and it actually reflected back towards Doggie and Ducky. The sharpshooter fortunately saw this in time, and opted not to fire bullets, but the dog and duck took the clay disc as a hit. The animals got back up and immediately summoned another Wild Gunman, surprised by what just happened. The cowboy fired a shot at Minato, only for the bullet to come back, and send the cowboy flying into the animal duo. The dog and duck got up, and stared confused at Minato.

"Confused you two? I'll show," Minato said, as he pulled the right side of his Gekkoukan jacket, to show that he wore a Franklin Badge on his uniform, that the jacket was covering up before. The Franklin Badge was an item that would automatically reflect all projectiles launched at the wearer. Like any gear based item, it was temporary though. Team Duck Hunt however just made a mad dash, at a speed that Minato was not ready for even with Koromaru's training, as the animals frustration and rage caused Doggie to run really fast. The dog bit onto Minato's jacket once more, while Ducky quickly using his duckbill, plucked the Franklin Badge off Minato's uniform and tossed it aside, before going back to pecking Minato. Doggie tossed Minato towards the large green bush on the right side of the arena, as Minato held his head with his right head, as he laid on the leaves.

"That duck can really peck," Minato mumbled with a headache. He quickly shook it off, as they charged for him again. Minato decided to fall into the bush itself, as Ducky barely grazed him with another peck. The two backed away from the bush as Doggie kicked another explosive can that landed towards the bush. The sharpshooter fired at the can for an instant explosion, hoping to catch Minato in the flames with a High Explosive Shot. However Minato was seen unscathed as he summoned Pyro Jack to block the blow for him, as the bush was burnt to a crisp.

"Now use Agilao at Duck Hunt!" Minato ordered as the pumpkin headed creature launched fire at Duck Hunt. The two quickly used their Smash shield as the fire luckily didn't burn them. Ducky in particular was glad to have not ended up smelling like roast duck, as the duck had experience getting burned by a fire breathing turtle, or the fireballs thrown by a famous red hat wearing plumber. Duck Hunt immediately threw itself at Minato's Persona, biting at Pyro Jack's pumpkin head. The Persona began to flail around comically, as both duck and dog bit and pecked at it's pumpkin head as it it were a Jack-o'-Lantern filled with candy, as the Persona tried to shake the dog and duck off it's pumpkin head. Minato stared blankly at the scene, as he was definitely not expecting that and unsure how to proceed. He then recalled his Persona, as the animal members of Duck Hunt, found themselves falling into the ground with a thud. Minato took out his bow as he quickly aimed at Duck Hunt, but luckily for the dog and duck, a Back Shield landed right in front of them. Ducky immediately grabbed for it, and it soon activated, as Doggie turned around quickly. The arrow that would have hit them, merely broke, as a yellow shield with a purple jewel appeared. According to Fuuka's research, the item would nullify any projectiles launched at a fighter's back temporarily.

"Not bad Duck Hunt," Minato said, as he praised both dog and duck. Both animals simply smirked back at him. He took out his spear once more, and went into a defensive stance as he quickly leaped onto the tree on the left side of the arena to keep his distance. "But you guys are going to have to do better,"

The dog and duck carefully considered their options. This opponent was so versatile and had so many ways to handle himself. Ducky had another idea, as the mallard duck quacked very quietly to Doggie about a new idea, which caused Doggie to laugh. They went to the base of the tree and Doggie immediately placed an explosive can on it and immediately signaled for a High Explosive Shot for the sharpshooter. Minato's normally calm face, was actually looking rather pale for once, as that was something he didn't see coming at all. Luckily for him, a Rocket Belt item had just spawned on the tree branch he stood on. He immediately put the jet-pack item on, as the tree began to tumble down. Activating it's thrusters, he remained in the air using the Rocket Belt , while the tree fell to the ground.

"Wow! Incredible!" announced the announcer. The other members of SEES watching the fight back in their conference room, sweat dropped upon hearing that as that was probably one of the rare times the announcer said something during a battle, and were baffled by the bizarre fighting style they all saw so far from the fighter group of Duck Hunt. Still, they were glad Minato was doing relatively well so far. Back to the arena, Doggie began leaping into the air, as he tried to get his duck pal close enough to peck at Minato. But Minato would just raise his elevation and keep making the duck miss. Koromaru began to bark as Aigis translated.

"Koromaru says he would love to play fetch with you wearing a Rocket Belt and try one himself," Aigis said. Minato couldn't help but laugh at what he heard, while Fuuka giggled. Suddenly he began to hear his Rocket belt begin to run out of fuel. Seeing this, Doggie began running below Minato who tried to avoid them, but soon found himself slowly descending. The dog immediately signaled upwards, and soon gunfire, shot down Minato whose Rocket Belt was knocked off, and he came crashing down. He immediately crashed down, and saw that another explosive can was being shot towards him. He immediately used his spear to smack it back, but the sharpshooter this time shot it back, and Minato responded in kind. Soon it was like a tennis match, between Minato's spear and the gunshots, before the explosive can eventually detonated in the air, by itself. Doggie summoned another Wild Gunman, who managed to hit Minato, while he was distracted by not getting blown up by the explosive can. Minato held his chest in pain. It wasn't lethal, but it still hurt a lot. Koromaru whimpered, while Aigis and Fuuka looked on really concerned. Duck Hunt immediately dashed towards Minato, as they were determined to knock him out to the sky. It was now or never for them, they felt if they wanted to win this match. Minato seeing them come towards him, took out his Evoker as he had another Persona in mind.

"Shiisaa! Fatal End the Wild Gunman, then at Doggie and Ducky immediately!" Minato yelled as a gunshot roared out. A yellow and green fur, dog like lion creature... (or is it a lion like dog?) appeared in front of Minato as it stared down Duck Hunt. Doggie immediately stopped and summoned another Wild Gunman. As the cowboy was about to fire onto the Persona, the creature swiped with it's front paws hard, sending the cowboy flying away, and then the creature quickly moved in front of Doggie and Ducky and performed the same action once more. They couldn't dodge in time, as they took the attack head on, and they were sent flying away. Soon they were twinkles in the big blue sky and the match was over just like that. Koromaru began to bark happily which Aigis happily translated.

"Koromaru-san is very happy that you won. As for myself as well," Aigis said with a smile. Fuuka cheered really happily as this was another victory for Minato, and they were another step closer to winning his freedom.

"Way to go Minato!" Fuuka shouted with glee, as she stopped using her Persona and smiled deeply. Minato gently smiled, as he was thankful for their comments.

"**GAME!**" The announcer finally announced, as they all found themselves teleported back into the teleportation room. Doggie and Ducky both whimpered, while the others walked over towards the two.

"Sorry guys. Are we cool?" Minato asked. Both Doggie and Ducky perked up, and nodded. While they were disappointed they lost, they were glad to have met this friendly individual and his friends. Minato, Fuuka, and Aigis petted the dog and duck, who were thankful for their gentle touch. Koromaru barked to the two, and the animals found themselves talking with each other peacefully. Soon Koromaru, turned to face Aigis and barked something to her, and she nodded.

"Koromaru-san would like to hang out with them at the indoor park. Koromaru-san asked me to accompany them as well. Are you two fine with that?" Aigis asked. Minato and Fuuka both agreed as they saw no problems with that, as they made sure to hug and pet the lovable Shiba Inu, shook hands with Aigis,and bid farewell to Aigis and the three animals as they would meet up later with Aigis and Koromaru. When they were gone, Sky walked to the two, lazily clapping his hands while yawning.

"Whatever dude. Let me stamp your cyan ticket so I can get back to business," Sky said lazily. Minato took out his cyan order ticket, and it soon was pressed with the black Smash Bros symbol onto it. "Mr. Arisato still has to clear two more orders from The Master. Enjoy not being able to go outside to Wuhu Island till you defeat whoever your seventh order opponent... or opponents... whoever it who or whom concern. Later,"

Sky began to walk away, while Minato looked at his cyan ticket that was now marked with the Smash Bros symbol.

"Six down, two more before it's all over," Minato said. "Seventy five percent done huh?"

"Yes. We're almost at the end... I better get to researching Kirby and Wii Fit Trainer soon though, just in case," Fuuka replied. Minato gently grabbed her, and shook his head for a no.

"Relax Fuuka. We have time before August. Plus tomorrow's a holiday. Why don't you, the others and myself all hang out in Smash Tower? We still have a ton of things we can do together. You'll have time to research them in the future," Minato suggested.

"Well... alright. A day of pure fun sounds refreshing," Fuuka said, as she giggled in response. "I guess I can save researching Kirby and Wii Fit Trainer for the future. I'm also glad all those items appeared when they did to help you out,"

"That reminds me... I'm sure you were disappointed the Super Leaf item didn't show up. I know you wanted to see me with the cute raccoon ears and tail during the fight," Minato teased, as Fuuka blushed in response. "Don't worry. You still have that photo of me using it... just like I have a photo of you using it,"

"Hey!" Fuuka said embarrassed with a red face, while Minato simply laughed gently as he held her hand, as they both went to head back, to see the other members of SEES. Tomorrow it was time, to really enjoy themselves, with many activities they have and haven't tried yet with the others.

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**So what did you guys think? I hope you guys liked this chapter. Notes as always...**

**1\. So Duck Hunt was a bit difficult to write. This fighter is technically composed of three team members. A dog, a duck, and a off screen sharpshooter. It also didn't help that the dog and duck don't have official names at all, so I figured keeping it simple by referring to the dog and duck as Doggie and Ducky was what I decided to use.  
**

**2\. The lottery capsule machine references the lottery machine in Super Smash Bros Melee, where players can earn trophies by spending their money on it. Not exactly the same, as they won two new fighters to learn about, but it was still something.**

**3\. Duck Hunt (the stage) is only in the Wii U version of Smash Bros, as well as the Duck Hunt Medley. Impressed they came up with a medley based on what little music that original NES game had.**

**4\. Operation Babe Hunt was a thing where Junpei tried to get Akihiko and Minato in the game to get girlfriends during their Summer trip at Yakushima during Persona 3 in 2009. Needless to say, it didn't exactly work out. Still they tried I guess.**

**5\. Wuhu Island is the famous island resort that shows up in games like Wii Sports Resort, Mario Kart 7, and in the Wii U version of Smash Bros, as well as many other certain Nintendo games.**

**6\. Like Aigis, I applied similar logic for picking Koromaru's counterpart for Minato to fight. Koromaru is a dog. Duck Hunt... has one member that is a dog, while the other is a duck, and sharpshooter. Worked for me.**

**Well that's about it. I hoped you guys all enjoyed. Till next chapter which is going to be a bit of a break from the action.  
**


	14. Enjoying The Day & Dancing All Night

**Here we go with Chapter 14! I had a lot of free time prior to this chapter, so thankfully I got this out earlier. As always, if you got anything to say, don't be afraid to do so, otherwise let's get right onto the next chapter. **

**Also I want to state that, like the first chapter, all licensed content belong to their respective owners. Persona with Atlus, Smash Bros to Nintendo, Sega, Capcom, Namco Bandai, etc. Why am I mentioning this again? That will be part of the notes later. Anyway I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Minato and Fuuka were now back in their conference room, on their floor, as the other members of SEES congratulated them on another victory. They had explained that Koromaru had wanted to hang out with Doggie and Ducky, and Aigis accompanied the three. They had decided to wait for Aigis and Koromaru to come back, before discussing any future plans. While they waited, they conversed about the fight, and what had occurred during it. Eventually, Aigis was back with Koromaru as the two seemed to be in a chipper mood.

"How did hanging out with our new animal friends go, Koromaru?" Minato asked with a smirk. The dog happily barked back, with Aigis translating with a smile.

"Both Doggie and Ducky were very friendly and a lot of fun to play with. I look forward to being with the two in the future," Aigis translated for Koromaru. "As for myself, while I also enjoyed their company, I met with Rob and Mega Man who were also at the indoor park and also socialized with them."

"That's wonderful Aigis. I'm glad you and Koromaru had a fun time in the indoor park," Fuuka said happily back.

"I'm so glad everyone's making new buddies to be with," Junpei said with a big smile. "All the fighters we met so far, have been real nice to us,"

"Yeah. Glad we haven't run into anyone who's hostile or mean," Yukari added. "Really glad everyone's been friendly towards us,"

"Agreed. Though Arisato still has two more orders, so the opponents from those matches can always turn out to be a bit more hostile then the ones we have encountered so far," Mitsuru stated. "Still... considering we're on good terms generally with the fighters we have encountered so far, I do feel we shouldn't have any issues hopefully with Arisato's remaining opponents, whoever or whatever they might be,"

"So far... every opponent has been a counterpart to us for Minato to face off against. They've also all been defeated so far except... for Ken and Shinji," Akihiko pointed out. "It was Pit and Dark Pit for Yukari, Ike for Junpei, myself for Little Mac, Marth and Lucina for Mitsuru, Rob and Mega Man for Aigis, and now Duck Hunt for Koromaru."

"Looks like Yamagishi was correct with her theory. The Master is indeed matching Arisato's opponents based on those characteristics for these orders," Mitsuru stated, which Fuuka nodded back towards her, with a serious look. "Two more orders left, and at least, two more opponents left as well,"

"My counterpart for Minato sempai... I wonder who the fighter or fighters will be like?" Ken stated with a puzzled look, as he went deep into thought. "Aigis-san and Koromaru's opponents didn't fight with their weapons, but they still matched them in some way with being robots or animals for Minato sempai. Will my counterpart be someone who fights with a spear for Minato sempai? Or will it be someone young like me?"

"Don't worry about it Ken," Shinjiro stated while shrugging his shoulders. "It'll happen when it happens. No need to go thinking about it now. Anyway... so does anyone have anything they want to discuss before we all prepare for dinner at the cafeteria later?"

"Well... since tomorrow's a holiday, let's all spend some time just relaxing and having fun. It's the 4th of July right? Might as well celebrate for independence, and all that," Minato suggested.

"Oh yeah! Fireworks are going to light up the sky tomorrow night. That's going to be awesome!" Junpei exclaimed. "I wish we celebrated the 4th of July in Japan,"

"Well it's not a holiday for our country Junpei," Yukari said. "Regardless, I'm down with that. Another day where we all get together be really nice,"

"Agreed. We could also use the day to celebrate Arisato's victory and rejuvenate." Mitsuru stated with a smile.

"Fine with me. Little Mac told me, he and the other fighters all had their own plans anyway for the holiday tomorrow, and I'm down to taking a day off to hang out together," Akihiko stated.

"You sure you saying that because you don't want to admit, that Mac's been kicking your butt lately?" Shinjiro stated with a smirk. Before Akihiko could argue back, Ken thankfully interjected and Mitsuru was very glad.

"Awesome! I want to do so much stuff in Smash Tower we haven't done yet!" Ken shouted with enthusiasm.

"I have yet to try the spa services offered here," Aigis stated. "Granted, I do not require such services, but it would be nice to stimulate for,"

"Oh! Yukari-chan took me and Mitsuru sempai one day. It's really good. I think it's called... Smashing Spas? I think you like it Aigis," Fuuka said.

"Regardless, let's all just get together," Minato said with a smirk. "Anyway I'm pretty beat so let's get ready for dinner. I'm heading back to my room to shower and change. See you guys later,"

The discussion ended, as they all left. Minato headed to his room, but not before asking Fuuka privately if she wanted to join him in his shower. She declined but found herself blushing wildly, from his question, which caused the blue haired boy to smirk. Soon it was night, as the members of SEES entered the cafeteria. They saw Pit and Dark Pit in very particular outfits as they entered. They were both dressed in clothing, that was reminiscent of disco outfits from the time period of the 1970s. Pit was wearing a white disco suit, wore black dancing shoes, and instead of his laurel crown, wore a fake brown Afro wig on his head. Dark Pit wore a black disco suit, wore white dancing shoes, and wore a fake black Afro wig on his head. Pit was his usual hyperactive cheerful self, while Dark Pit was wondering why he was doing this. The two were apparently in the middle of a disco dance routine, before they stopped as Yukari called out to the two.

"What the heck is with you two tonight?" Yukari asked curiously. "You two look like if you just came out of the seventies with your current fashion statements,"

"Oh hey guys!" Pit said as he heard Yukari's statement. He waved to the members of SEES while Dark Pit, looked away feeling embarrassed, as they saw him and Pit like this. "We're practicing for tomorrow night's dance competition!"

"Dance competition? What are you talking about?" Shinjiro asked with raised eyebrows.

"A dance competition is being held tomorrow night on the 4th of July?" Ken also asked, in confusion.

"Yep! Pittoo and I are teaming up, as this competition is all about dance teams of two. We're competing against Lucina and her partner Shulk!" Pit explained. Once again the members of SEES, felt left out of the dark as they weren't sure who Shulk was. "Oh right. You guys don't know who Shulk is. Well... don't worry about that. But yeah we were just practicing,"

"This is so embarrassing. Why did you make us practice in the cafeteria and with our disco outfits on now?" Dark Pit asked annoyed.

"Because we have to get used to dancing in front of an audience and while wearing our disco outfits. Don't you agree Pittoo?" Pit explained. Dark Pit rolled his eyes as he couldn't believe, he was related to this guy, but he had to admit, they were somewhat decent explanations. "Plus... I know you want to beat Lucina and Shulk. Especially to impress Lucina with your dance skills and to beat Shulk in this dance competition,"

"What are you trying to imply!?" Dark Pit shouted. "If you're trying to imply Shulk is trying to get with Lucina, he already has his own girlfriend Fiora from his own world you blundering pit hole! I also know Shulk isn't that kind of person to be... you know! So shut your mouth, if you're going to say he is!"

"In response to what you just said... well from what I remember... as soon as I mentioned Lucina and Shulk teaming up, to being part of this dance competition, you didn't hesitate to become my dance partner. I didn't say anything about Shulk other then you just wanting to beat him and Lucina in this dance competition," Pit teased. Dark Pit gritted his teeth, and grumbled under his breath about teaming up with Bowser Jr. to prank Pit later. The members of SEES watching all felt awkward, so Akihiko had decided to ask a question, to break the awkwardness.

"So... where's the competition being held at?" Akihiko asked.

"Also, are you two along with Lucina and... Shulk the only competing teams, for this dance competition?" Mitsuru had decided to ask as well.

"Oh. Well one of the top floors in Smash Tower has a club where people can chill at the bar, and dance on... well the dance floor. Club Smash? You guys really never checked it out?" Pit explained. They all shook their head for a no. "Huh. I'm kind of surprised. Well that's where the dance competition is being held,"

"Pit hole and myself, are the only competing dancers besides Lucina and Shulk. All the other fighters didn't care to participate, or were busy with their own plans," Dark Pit explained.

"Is there a prize for winning?" Junpei asked.

"You get a golden trophy made of you and your dance partner if you win." Pit explained. The members of SEES couldn't help but flinch at the word trophy, which Pit and Dark Pit noticed, and were confused by. Still they decided not to pursue that line of questioning as Pit continued to explain. "That's pretty much it though. Still, we're in it, just to win and more importantly, have some fun!"

"Dealing with Pit, in anything, is always questionable when it comes to fun," Dark Pit remarked, while Pit sheepishly smiled in response to what he just heard. "Anyway... you guys should check out Club Smash if you want. Come watch our dance competition if you want to. If you want to participate in the competition, just register anytime before it occurs tomorrow night. I'm out now cause you guys shouldn't be seeing me dressed like this... at least not till tomorrow night,"

Dark Pit began to leave, as Pit's protests fell on deaf ears for him to stay. Soon Pit was by himself, as he sighed and wondered why Dark Pit was always such a boring person compared to him.

"I guess we can come, check it out tomorrow night," Minato said. "I like to check out Club Smash and see if it's really all that,"

"Thanks Minato. I should get going myself. Pittoo and myself have practiced enough before anyway, before you guys get here. I'll ask the chairmen if you guys can see Shulk. Be kind of awkward if you guys saw Lucina dancing with an invincible dance partner. I'll show up tomorrow morning at your conference room to drop off a note, to see how it went. Besides that... get ready for team... Dancing Piano Keys to win!" Pit replied as he began to move and disco pose, his way out of the cafeteria.

"Team... Dancing Piano Keys?" Junpei said with awkwardness, and wondered why they picked that name of all things.

"Pit is mainly associated with the color white, while Dark Pit is mainly associated with the color black. They are both dance partners, and dancing is a musical activity. Piano keys are both white and black, and associated with music, thus their team name matches their colors, and the musical reference," Aigis explained.

"No Aigis. I think Junpei is saying that, because... well the name is a bit lame," Yukari said with a bit of cringe. "I kind of agree. Team Dancing Piano Keys isn't exactly the most awe-inspiring name,"

"Those two dancing? Oh man. They are either going to win or be a dancing disaster," Shinjiro remarked.

"Yeah. Those two are going to be... interesting," Minato stated, as he rolled his eyes at the thought of Pit and Dark Pit dancing... at least competently. He couldn't exactly see the two being the most coordinated dancers, especially with each other as dance partners. "Anyone in our group thinking of entering?"

Everyone else shook their head for a no. Minato rolled his eyes, as he wanted them to all loosen up more and relax more.

"What about you Fuuka? I can be your dance partner," Minato teased, as he seriously began to consider entering the competition for fun. "We were going to check out Club Smash tomorrow night anyway, so we might as well enter and show the other two dance teams up. What do you say?"

Fuuka was about to politely decline, but then she seriously went into deep thought. One thing she admired about Rise Kujikawa, was her assertiveness, and how as a navigator, was strong for the Investigation Team who solved the murder case incident in Inaba. She was also an idol for her normal career as well. Maybe... dancing with Minato for this dance competition would help boost her confidence up? Plus she be dancing with her lover, and it be fun.

"You know Minato... why not? Sure. I would love to be your dance partner!" Fuuka responded back with confidence. Minato smiled, while Junpei and Yukari felt a bit surprised from what they heard, going by the expressions on their faces. They had never seen Fuuka danced before, so this was going to be new.

"That's the spirit Fuuka. Keep in mind, I don't care if we win or lose. It's all for good fun," Minato said, while everyone was now curious to see this happening. They soon had a delicious dinner, and soon everyone else turned in for the night, while Fuuka and Minato were in his room, as they decided to pick out a song for use for tomorrow's dancing competition. They were all ready for a fun, relaxing, and now dancing day tomorrow.

* * *

The next morning, they quickly reconvened at the conference room to decide how they decided to do things. They also found a note by Pit in the office, like Pit said he would, and it had some positive news.

"For anyone reading this, I spoke with one of the chairman at their office. Chairman Sky who I had to wake up. He's allowing you guys to see Shulk, apparently on the basis that he's really laid back, and that Shulk is not among Minato's opponents in his next two matches. So yes you guys can now learn about Shulk and see him. That's all for me. Cheer for the Dancing Piano Keys (myself and Pittoo), if you're not competing. If anyone is competing, have fun! From Pit," Junpei read aloud.

"Well we have another fighter we can now learn about, aside from Kirby and Wii Fit Trainer or Ms. Fit as she is known to some," Mitsuru stated.

"I wonder who Shulk is?" Yukari said. "That's not a common name. At least... I don't think I've ever met or heard anyone with a name like that,"

"I thought we were going to start having fun and relaxing?" Akihiko asked. "Otherwise I think I'm going to head to the gym to start training,"

"Can it Aki." Shinjiro said. Akihiko was about to retort, before Mitsuru cleared her throat, as she eyed the two with a glare. Both Akihiko and Shinjiro sighed, and decided not to argue, in fear of a "execution," from Mitsuru.

"Well I think we should start. Can we start by heading to the indoor sports floor?" Ken suggested. Junpei immediately raised his hands, as he began to eek for noise. Minato rolled his eyes, and nodded towards Junpei, to speak.

"I say baseball! What better sport to start the day off, then with America's pastime on the 4th of July?" Junpei suggested.

"Hey! You're just saying that because you're good at baseball. I say soccer!" Ken replied.

"Soccer? But you're just saying that because you play it Ken!" Junpei whined back.

"Junpei... we don't have enough people for baseball anyway," Yukari said. "I'm fine with soccer. Plus I think we all have blue soccer uniforms in our closets. When I went through mine in the past, I found soccer uniforms with different colors. Now's a good opportunity to wear them,"

"What about tennis, or golf, or bowling?" Junpei suggested instead.

"We can't do tennis as a group, unless you want five on five on a small tennis court. Golf... would take forever with ten people, even in general. Same for bowling but not to the same extent," Akihiko explained. Junpei was about to say something before Akihiko cut him off. "No we're not doing American football. I'm not in the mood to get tackled,"

"Plus anyone who tackles Fuuka, would be at the receiving end of Minato's wrath," Yukari whispered to Junpei, causing him to immediately nod in agreement. That was a point he agreed on. Plus he himself wouldn't want Fuuka to get physically hurt anyway, knowing how fragile she was.

"Basketball then?" Junpei suggested.

"Some of us are way shorter then others," Ken said, as Koromaru barked in agreement with that statement. They all agreed with Yukari and Ken on playing soccer, while Junpei sighed with disappointment and hoped he was on Ken's team. Minato and Akihiko were made captains. Minato had chosen Fuuka, Yukari, Junpei, and Aigis for his team, while Akihiko had Mitsuru, Shinjiro, Ken, and Koromaru for his team. They all decided to go back to their rooms and get a soccer uniform. Minato's team had decided on a cyan colors for their soccer uniforms, while Akihiko's decided on a blue color (Koromaru opted to not wear a uniform, since it wasn't exactly made for dogs in mind). They decided to head to the large floor, where they held indoor soccer. Fuuka and Shinjiro chose to be the goalies for their respective teams. Fuuka due to not being the most athletic person in general and not a fast runner, so she opted to protect the goal as best as she could, while Shinjiro just didn't want to run.

They decided to play for fifteen minutes as they asked the employees running the indoor soccer field, to setup the time and score display for them. It was an exciting game, as they discovered this was no normal soccer field. The fences were all electrified (and they were told it was encouraged to tackle their opponents into it by the employees. Thankfully the goalies were more safe then the others when it came to this) and the soccer ball they played with was metallic (yet oddly enough was not hard to kick) and the strength of their shots would get stronger as they passed it. Apparently this kind of soccer was a bit more extreme and was known as "Strikers," styled soccer, whatever that meant. It was nearing two minutes left on the clock as both teams were tied with two points. Fuuka had just picked up the soccer ball (barely as it nearly went in the goal she was guarding) and tossed it towards Minato. The blue haired teen had just passed the metallic soccer ball to Aigis, who then kicked it towards Yukari.

"Incoming your way Junpei!" Yukari shouted, as she passed the ball towards him. Junpei was about to receive the ball before he heard Shinjiro shout something that distracted him.

"Hey Junpei. Isn't that your homeroom teacher Ms. Toriumi behind you?" Shinjiro yelled out in a serious manner though he was really testing to see if, he would fall for it. Junpei freaked out, as he turned around to see if Ms. Toriumi was actually there. Yukari immediately face palmed while Minato rolled his eyes from frustration, while Aigis looked confused, and Fuuka just sighed. Koromaru snatched the ball away, and using his head, quickly headbutted it towards Mitsuru. She caught the pass, and then kicked it towards Akihiko, who in turn quickly passed it to Ken, who was nearby the goal that Fuuka was defending.

"Here goes!" Ken said as he winded up for a kick. Fuuka quickly tried to defend the area where, Ken was aiming at, but Ken seeing this, quickly aimed for the other side that Fuuka didn't protect and landed an easy goal, and their game was now over as the remaining time passed. "Alright! Good game everyone! That was fun!"

"Fun for you Ken! Also... that was such a cheap trick Shinjiro sempai!" Junpei whined.

"Well if you didn't fall for it, you wouldn't be having this issue," Shinjiro replied calmly back, while he rolled his eyes.

"Well I'm glad it's over. Strikers styled soccer is something I'll never do again, unless electric fences are gone," Yukari mentioned, as she was still not a big fan of being shocked, due to her weakness. "Getting tackled into them is not fun,"

"Agreed. Strikers styled soccer is very extreme compared to regular soccer, and I advise we opt for regular soccer to partake in instead here," Aigis stated in agreement, as she also shared an electrical weakness. Both teams congratulated each other and were glad to have played a fun game regardless.

"Man that worked up a sweat. I say we check out Smashing Spas next to relax," Yukari suggested. They all headed back to their floors to grab their bathing suits with them, to change into at the spa's locker room as they headed over to the floor that had the spa. The boys had never been to this area, so it was a new experience for them. They all found themselves resting in a huge giant jacuzzi filled with hot mineral water courtesy of Smash Corp's loaded pockets to have such a thing available and possible for use on this floor. Koromaru was not allowed in the giant jacuzzi, who at first whimpered, before the employees who ran the floor, brought him to an animal only area for spa treatment. They made sure to tell Koromaru to meet them by the entrance, as they planned to leave right before lunch time occurred at the cafeteria. Needless to say it, was a very relaxing and calming experience.

"This is the life." Junpei said with such a relaxed tone. "I can feel my sore muscles and wounded pride just being soothed away,"

"This is very refreshing and comforting," Mitsuru said. "I"m glad we can all spend time together to refresh ourselves like this,"

"Plus mineral water. Not something you can normally we soak ourselves in as well, unless we're at a hot spring," Akihiko stated.

"What's the deal with mineral water anyway? What makes it any better then regular water to bathe in?" Ken asked out of curiosity.

"Searching database... mineral water is said to be naturally found in hot springs, and is said to treat hypertension, clogged arteries, skin inflammations, stiffness and soreness in the body system, and to relieve general stress," Aigis stated, though she herself didn't benefit from any of this.

"So... we're essentially bathing in a hot spring, but it's not a hot spring," Shinjro stated.

"Well it's not like this is the only thing we're going to do. I also want Aigis to experience a spa facial with a cucumber mask," Yukari explained. "Plus I bet you guys could go for a massage, after that soccer game,"

Minato and Fuuka remained silent, as they just rested, and saw everyone else spoke to each other. They were just happy that everyone was in a good mood, and having fun, while they were also glad to really relax at the moment. Soon the boys and girls split, as the guys went to go for a room to get a massage, while the girls went to go get a facial. Soon Yukari, Mitsuru, Fuuka, and Aigis were wearing white robes, had their faces covered in white skin cream, and their eyes covered in cucumbers. While they each laid on a white chair and rested, they heard someone besides the employees in the room speak, as someone new entered.

"Hello. I've never seen you four in Smash Tower before," said a very calm and friendly voice. The four female members of SEES removed the cucumbers on their eyes, to see someone they never seen before. What was most striking was her appearance. She had gray hair tied into a ponytail, gray eyes, and the palest white skin they have ever seen on a person. She was currently wearing a white robe, but they could tell she was also very physically in fit shape. She was very pretty, and her age seemed to be that of a young mature adult.

"Who are you?" Mitsuru asked with curiosity.

"You can call me Ms. Fit." the very pale women said with a friendly smile. "I'm a fitness trainer who helps people get in shape,"

All four of them had a surprised expression upon them. So this was the individual known as Ms. Fit that Little Mac, had a crush on. This was also the Wii Fit Trainer that they were now allowed to know about as well, and finally interact with.

"Are you... known as the Wii Fit Trainer as well?" Aigis asked.

"Yes. That's a title I'm also known by," Ms. Fit answered in response.

"Wow. That means you're also the fighter in this competition," Yukari said, which Ms. Fit also nodded back in response too as well.

"Really happy to meet you." Fuuka said with a smile. The four SEES girls introduced themselves to Ms. Fit, and they also explained they were at the spa at the moment just to relax. "Are you here to relax as well Ms. Fit?"

"Yes. Last evening I had a rather tiring match against a certain Bowser, which I ended up losing in. I guess all that fitness training I gave him prior to the 4th tournament he requested, had turned him into a rather mean monster truck of a fighter," Ms. Fit said with a smile and gentle laugh. "I suppose he's also thankful his back is no longer like a hunchback though, from the Melee and Brawl Tournaments,"

"Bowser?" Aigis stated curiously, as the members of SEES assumed this was yet another fighter they didn't know of. Ms. Fit hearing this, was not too surprised, based on what she heard from their introductions earlier.

"I would love to explain more about him, but from what you have told me from your introductions, I was forbidden to tell certain people regarding certain information from the eight chairmen who run Smash Corp. This unfortunately includes anything more on Bowser, besides what I've already stated," Ms. Fit explained.

"It's alright Ms. Fit. We understand." Fuuka said back. They technically learned of yet another fighter name, and from what Ms. Fit stated, has been participating since the Melee Tournament, which from what they knew, was the 2nd official tournament held. That and this fighter's name was Bowser.

"Nothing to apologize for. Why don't we all just relax? I still need to get my own facial mask, complete with cucumbers of course," Ms. Fit replied. She joined the four SEES members in relaxation, as the spa employees fitted her with a facial mask with cucumbers as well. They chatted about miscellaneous topics, before the SEES girls bid farewell to Ms. Fit. They promised they meet back with the boys by the entrance of Smashing Spa, at a certain time. They got dressed and met up with them as Junpei, Ken, Akihiko, Minato, and even Shinjiro looked so much more relieved.

"Man that massage was heaven. Really gets rid of the tension," Minato stated.

"I hope Koromaru was treated nicely as well," Ken stated. Soon the dog joined the others. He began to bark very pleased, as Aigis stated that Koromaru was indeed treated very nicely. They groomed and treated him, as if he were a royal pet, according to the dog. He also ran into Doggie and Ducky of Duck Hunt who were being pampered very nicely as well, and they told Koromaru they were going to watch the fireworks from the roof of Smash Tower tonight. They soon began to leave for the cafeteria, but Yukari suddenly recalled Ms. Fit.

"Oh! Before we forget, we actually ran into the Wii Fit Trainer, while we were getting our facials!" Yukari exclaimed.

"Wii Fit Trainer? You mean... Ms. Fit?" Akihiko asked very curiously. "You four, actually ran into her?"

"Yes. She came in while we were getting our facials, and we introduced ourselves to her and she introduced herself to us," Mitsuru replied.

"Anything stand out from her?" Shinjiro asked.

"She has the palest skin I have ever seen a human with," Aigis stated. The male members of SEES looked confused at her.

"Well you'll know what Aigis means when you guys eventually meet her," Fuuka stated. "She was really nice though, so I'm glad we got to meet her."

Before any more explanations could be heard they suddenly all heard their stomachs growl in hunger. This was now the cue for them to eat something, as they were all so focused on having fun today, they neglected to eat breakfast. They headed to the cafeteria. Once there they saw the familiar faces in the form of the fighters were introduced to, sitting around having their own lunches, who they also greeted. They soon had a great lunch and discussed the fitness trainer in more detail.

Eventually they decided to head to the indoor park to rest from their meal, as they all laid on the grass. Yukari, Junpei, were lazily strew across the grass, snoring while Aigis tried to imitate them. Mitsuru, Akihiko, Shinjiro, and Ken were just neatly lying on a grassy hill resting, and finally Minato had Fuuka resting on his chest while Koromaru rested near the two. They were napping peacefully till evening came and soon they went to their rooms and decided to change into new fresh casual Summer clothing (Aigis opted for another Gekkoukan High uniform). However just as they were about to head to Club Smash, they ran into Starfy on their floor, who seemed to be in distress.

"Hi Starfy. Good to see you little guy," Fuuka said happily, as she was always glad to see the cute innocent starfish. "What's wrong? You seem sad,"

Starfy began to frantically squeal, as he tried to communicate to them what was wrong. Aigis, being able to translate for Koromaru, was also capable of translating for the starfish as well.

"Starfy said he needs someone to help him. His friend Kirby had his room painted and drawn with crayon all over, and he was wondering if anyone could help him, to help Kirby clean up." Aigis explained.

"Sounds like that Junior kid," Shinjiro said. "What a troublemaker that brat likes to be."

"I shall volunteer," Aigis stated, as the rest of SEES looked towards her. "Do not worry. You all shall have a fun time. I shall join you all later after I help Starfy clean Kirby's room,"

"Are you sure Aigis? We wouldn't mind helping you," Fuuka asked, as Aigis shook her head for a no.

"It is perfectly fine. Let's not waste anymore time, as I know you and Minato have a dance competition to enter," Aigis said with a smile, as she had Starfy take her to the floor where Kirby had his room in. The rest of SEES didn't want to go on, without Aigis but saw they had no choice as she already left them. They headed to the floor where Club Smash was, and was absolutely floored by what they saw, when they entered.

"Wow. They spared no expense in making this place fancy," Junpei stated in awe. The way the floor was designed, was that it was a huge circular area, with every wall being a glass window (made of extremely strong reinforced material for safety concerns of course) that showed off New York City, which was starting to bask in the moon's glow. A huge disco ball designed to look like a Smash Ball, hung from the ceiling of the center of the room, as it gave the room a very ambient mix of darkness and white circular light you would receive from a stereotypical disco ball. The room was full of loudspeakers, spectrum analyzers (for the visual aesthetic flair to go along with the music), and the floors were silver metal tiles that were shined to perfection.

Many employees were seen dancing to the electronic tune being played and had off due to today being a holiday. Many were just in their casual clothes, as they seemed to be just dancing to the music. A large bar made up the right side of the room, with various black leather couches, and glass tables. The left side, had a huge setup for a DJ who was handling the tunes, as he himself was head bobbing to the electronic music that played. The DJ was wearing blue jeans, black sneakers, a Smash Bros T-Shirt with a red flame design and featured the vertical slash, and lower left horizontal slash, and white headphones. The DJ seeing the SEES members smirked as he immediately decided to change the music to something they be more familiar with, as he was aware of them.

"Mass Destruction by Lotus Juice!" Yukari exclaimed, as the repeating of the word "baby," and a hip hop inspired beat filled the room. The employees were really getting into the groove, as the new song was to their liking.

"Hey guys! We're sitting over here!" Pit yelled out to SEES, as they turned to face him. They saw Pit, Dark Pit, Lucina, Isabelle, Dillon, and who appeared to be that blonde haired swordsman they saw a long time ago from that video fighting that monstrous turtle, the chairman showed them. They were all sitting in a huge circular black couch surrounding a glass table filled with food and drink. Pit and Dark Pit were still wearing their disco outfits from yesterday, Lucina was wearing a dark blue dancing dress and dark blue ballroom shoes, while the blonde haired swordsman was wearing a red suit. Isabelle was wearing a green dress, and a green ribbon on her hair as a hair clip, and was wearing green high top shoes, while Dillon chose to remain in his usual attire, as he wore a serious expression as he sipped a drink from a glass cup he held. The members of SEES barring Aigis, all sat down with them.

"Nice to see you Pit. As well as everyone else. I presume you're Shulk?" Minato asked, as attention shifted to the blonde haired young adult.

"Yep. My name's Shulk. Nice to meet you all," the blonde haired young man said in his English accent, with a friendly smirk as the members of SEES introduced themselves to him. "Always good to meet more new faces,"

"Actually we've seen you before," Ken stated. "We all saw a video where you were fighting a monstrous turtle creature a while back,"

"Is that so? Oh and regarding that big brute, he isn't that bad to fight, though his dropkicks are sure to make you feel sore right after the match, if he connects." Shulk replied. "I'm here to be dance partners with Lucina for the competition happening soon."

"We're calling ourselves the Dancing Visionaries," Lucina exclaimed, as she was excited to dance.

"Dancing Visionaries?" Mitsuru asked. "Why that title, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Well Lucina is from the future in her world, and as for myself, I can see the future through visions," Shulk stated calmly. The members of SEES were just shocked by what they heard, as their facial expressions depicted them with confusion. "Well it's a very long story, so I'll keep it simple. The blade I wield, called the Monado, allows me to see visions of the future. Let's leave it at that,"

"The Monado? You mean that red blade you use during your fights?" Junpei asked, still confused and amazed. Shulk nodded back as the members of SEES, realized that this competition was still filled to the brim, with unknown information they have yet to learn.

"But enough about myself. Are any of you here to enter the dance competition being held tonight? Isabelle tried but old fashioned cowboy Dillon refuses to budge, as he rather have the drinks from the bar," Shulk asked, as Dillon calmly crossed his arms from what he heard and closed his eyes, while Isabelle just sighed, but smiled as she was glad Dillon was willing to socialize more.

"Myself and the lovely priestess are here to compete," Minato stated confidently, with Fuuka nodding along, to show her agreement and confidence. The rest of SEES were really curious to see how this was going to go. They were sure Minato was capable of pulling off some dance moves, but Fuuka was more of the slow dancing type if she were someone to dance.

"Is that so? You better ask the DJ quick to register, as we're about to start soon. Good luck pal," Shulk said. Minato and Fuuka walked over to the DJ as he noticed them approaching, and they told him that they want to register.

"OK but I need a team name and a song from you two," the DJ stated. Minato and Fuuka turned to each other and whispered quietly to each other before facing the DJ once more.

"Our team name... is the Swinging Sapphires," Minato stated as he decided to go with a cheesy name for the hell of it.

"And our song is..." Fuuka said, as she whispered the rest of the details to the DJ who smirked, as he liked the song they were telling him to use.

"No problem. It'll be announced when you guys are going up," the DJ replied. The two went back to the table, as the whole table began to converse. Isabelle and Dillon also made sure to purchase soda from the bartenders at the bar, for the SEES members to drink, considering they were underage, and wasn't wanting them to get into any trouble. Especially considering Ken was really young and was with them. Soon the lights all turned off, as the DJ began to speak.

"**YO!** What up fellow Club Smashers!? Tonight at Club Smash, we got three awesome cool teams dancing and showing off their funky skills, before we get to see some awesome fireworks later for independence! Let's enjoy our funky freedom by having starting this dance competition with... the Swinging Sapphires!" the DJ announced, as a spotlight fell on Minato and Fuuka. Fuuka was immediately blushing from all the attention she received and was surprised to be going with Minato first, as she placed her hands on her teal blue Summer dress, while Minato smirked. Minato requested two wireless headsets with mics, as he Minato took her hand and led here to the center of the dance floor and they both received them and wore them. "Their music track is going to be... Dance! This funky track is the latest single, created by the music artists, Rise Kujikawa and Kanami Mashita!"

_*** Dance! (Persona 4: Dancing All Night-Opening Theme) ***_

The rest of SEES were surprised by the music choice. As they were reminded of the incident they investigated as Shadow Operatives (barring Shinjiro) a while back. It involved the Investigation Team who solved the Inaba murder case in 2011, and they were also involved in the P-1 Grand Prix and P-1 Climax, and an idol known as Kanami Mashita and her group. Probably the most unique Shadow related incident they ever investigated for many dancing reasons.

The disco ball turned on, as Minato and Fuuka were now the center of attention as they both decided to go with a dance and singing routine. Minato was making disco poses and moonwalks all while keeping a cocky and caring grin, while Fuuka decided to keep things simple and strike poses reminiscent of many dance videos she's seen from Rise and Kanami's work, while they both sang. Fuuka sang with her heart, feeling really excited, as she moved her feet to the beat of the song as the song continued on with it's nonsensical but fun lyrics about love and dancing. Minato also sang as he rapped the male singer's deep lyrics, with his heavenly voice, as his body continued to move to the music's rhythm. The crown began to cheer wildly, as while their dance routine was simple, and while they weren't the best singers, it was done well and they loved the song being played as it was so good. Members of SEES all found themselves nodding to the beat, as they were big fans of the song. Shinji who wouldn't normally listen to stuff like, had to admit, it was actually pretty damn catchy as he found his feet tapping to the beat, though he refused to nod. Dillon found himself very subtly nodding his head to the beat, as he had to admit, it was a nice song, even if this was not his kind of music. Soon the song that lasted around four minutes finished and the two looked into each others eyes serenely, while holding each others hands.

"While I don't think they're going to be winning tonight's prize, they still did a great job, and most importantly, had a hell of a fun time dancing! Give it up for the Swinging Sapphires!" the DJ praised as the crowd went wild and clapped for the two. Minato took a graceful bow, with Fuuka following in response, as he led her back to their seats. The song Minato and Fuuka used, kept playing even after they stopped, as Pit and Dark Pit who were up next requested the DJ work with it, as they loved the tune. Pit and Dark Pit's dance routine was more along on the lines of a traditional disco routine. They two swung their arms side to side, walking forward, and began to hustle in both directions. They then circled their hands, before clapping and turning around, and repeating the same move in the other directions. They then hustled to the left and right, and began to disco pose. They then began sidestepping and the crowd clapped in unison to this insanely catchy song and to their dancing. They twirled and clapped, held their knees as they moved their bodies around. Soon they finished with a final hustle, and the crown cheered for them. Minato had to give them credit. They did far better then he expected.

"Nice job team Dancing Piano Keys! Very strong contenders for our winner so far. Will the Dancing Visionaries take their spot?" the DJ proclaimed. Both Pit and Dark Pit headed back to the table, as they were praised. Lucina and Shulk went up to the DJ, and told them they were still sticking with their original tune, though they loved the song used for the previous two performances they admitted. Soon a piano tune began to play, as the two decided to opt for a more traditional formal dance. As the two danced, Fuuka couldn't help but imagine herself as Lucina, and Shulk as Minato as the two waltzed up the dance floor. She imagined herself wearing a formal teal blue dress, with Minato in a dark suit, and the two just calmly dancing in a empty ballroom. Soon the two began to tango, which caused Dark Pit to flinch. He knew Shulk wasn't going to do anything questionable and they were just dance partners, but still seeing him dance that way with Lucina made him kind of concerned. Soon they finished their dance routine with another waltz, which caused the crowd to cheer.

"Wow. Great moves from the Dancing Visionaries. What do you say folks? Do our Dancing Piano Keys with their funky moves win this, or do the Dancing Visionaries with their more old traditional moves get the trophy? Let's hear you guys cheer and whichever team gets louder cheers wins this," the DJ asked. The crowd cheered instantly more for the Dancing Visionaries, causing Pit to sigh and Dark Pit wonder if he just wasted all this time dancing. "Is that so folks? Give it up for Lucina and Shulk our dancing champions for tonight! But of course let's thank the Dancing Piano Keys, and the Swinging Sapphires for participating as well. Now let's dance all night as the fireworks will soon be popping up the sky soon!"

The teams congratulated each other as they all shook hands. Lucina and Shulk were being led away to another floor, as they had to get a photo taken of them, for the trophy model of them being made. Soon everyone began to casually dance, (except Dillon who had decided to keep drinking but would soon cut it out, as he knew his limits for alcohol tolerance), and Shinjiro and Ken who opted to take care of Koromaru. Soon the night sky began to become lit with fireworks, causing everyone to stop and stare. Soon Lucina was back along with Aigis, who was covered in some paint on her uniform.

"We ran into each other. She's looking a lot more colorful, but I suppose anyone dealing with Junior's mess would be," Lucina explained, as Aigis had some colored paint over her high school uniform she wore.

"I can see it went pretty messy," Akihiko stated, as he noted the paint job. "A lot of paint indeed huh Aigis,"

"The room was far more messier then anticipated," Aigis stated. "Nonetheless I have helped cleaned it up and is now sufficiently clean. I see the fireworks have started. I also got to meet Kirby. He is a very sweet individual and I shall discuss him with the rest of us in the future,"

"Well that explains things. Where's Shulk though?" Mitsuru asked. Dark Pit was rather curious to hear the answer to this as well.

"Oh. He left to meet his girlfriend Fiora in Central Park. Said he was going to watch the fireworks with her there," Lucina explained. Dark Pit felt a sigh of relief come out of him, as Pit just grinned for his fellow angel. "Anyway, I'm beat. Why don't we all just watch the fireworks from this point on,"

They all agreed and they soon found themselves watching the fireworks that exploded in the sky. It was a peaceful moment, as it felt oddly serene, despite the loud noise present at Club Smash. Everyone was glad to have had a fun, relaxing, and exciting day. Minato gripped Fuuka's hands, and she did the same in return as they watched. Today's memory was one they would definitely cherish, before they would go back to preparing for the next order from The Master. It was one they would definitely appreciate, with friends new and old. They still had a lot of new faces to meet in the future, as well, so their time in Smash Tower was definitely going to continue being interesting.

**To Be Continued...**

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**So what did you guys think of this chapter? Notes as always, and some important ones.**

**1\. So originally I wanted to do more of a "musically," inspired chapter, but I did some research and learned that song lyrics are a big no, when it comes to copyright issues. So yeah. I was really hoping to incorporate lyrics, but understandably, probably should not do so.**

**2\. Mass Destruction is the famous battle theme from Persona 3 (though if you play Persona 3 Portable, as the girl, she gets a different battle theme). Lotus Juice (the artist) behind the track, is apparently a thing in their world for this story.**

**3\. Persona 4 Dancing All Night is the next Persona game/spinoff by the time this chapter is in writing, and will be released in the future. Technically, we don't know if the P3 characters get involved in that, but for this story let's just say they did. They are the Shadow Operatives and they do investigate Shadow related activity. Kanami Mashita will be making her debut in it, though she's referenced in previous Persona related material.**

**4\. Wii Fit Trainer helping Bowser get into shape, prior to the 4th tournament, was a bit of a nod to my Smash oneshot, Standing Tall &amp; Straight. That oneshot didn't technically happen in the context of this story, so don't worry about having to reading it. It was just a bit of a reference towards it. That and Bowser got a big change in general from Brawl to Smash 3DS/Wii U.**

**5\. Strikers styled soccer, was a reference to Super Mario Strikers and Mario Strikers Charged. Two Mario sports games, where soccer is played at a way more extreme level compared to regular soccer. Especially Strikers Charged.**

**6\. Fiora is basically Shulk's main love interest from Xenoblade Chronicles, for those unaware of the character. Speaking of Shulk, glad to finally introduce him as well, and his Monado. **

**Well that's about it for now. If anyone has anymore questions, or any comments they want to make, don't be afraid to ask. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and till next chapter where we get back into the action.**


	15. Interview With a Goddess & Bratty Prince

**Chapter 15 is here. This was another fun chapter to write, considering the introductions of the two new opponents, who have very fun personalities to work with, now entering the fray. Regarding a recent guest review, regarding the sixth battle, well... it's been half fulfilled. That and regarding Kirby and Pikachu showing up more from that Guest Review, Kirby is sure to show up more in the future, while Pikachu or any Pokemon characters are a maybe, to be honest. Anyway, as always, if you have anything to say, comment, state, etc, don't be afraid to do so. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

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The morning after the 4th of July event, where our SEES members got their dancing groove out of their system, from the previous night, they were all situated in their conference room before heading to breakfast together. Mitsuru wanted to have a quick meeting regarding all the fighters so far, and to organize what they know.

"OK. So from the orders, Arisato had so far, we've officially met Pit, Dark Pit, Ike, Little Mac, Marth, Lucina, Rob, Mega Man, and as of the most recent order, Duck Hunt," Mitsuru stated. "We were also allowed to properly learn about Kirby, Wii Fit Trainer, and Shulk recently, for other reasons,"

"You girls all ran into Wii Fit Trainer in the spa right?" Junpei stated.

"Yes. We did run into Ms. Fit there. We also ran into Shulk last night during the dancing competition," Yukari replied back. "Aigis, you ran into Kirby when you helped Starfy clean his room?"

"Yes. I did run into Kirby last night. That is another fighter we are now allowed to officially know about. So far, we have been officially allowed to interact and learn about twelve of the fighters in this competition," Aigis mentioned.

"Not to mention that some fighters we have heard their about their names or nicknames. Pit calls someone Triple-D, a Junior, we have a Ms. Aran, a Ms Toadstool, a Mr. Mayor, and... anyone else we hear about but aren't suppose to know about?" Akihiko stated, as he was going over what he knew.

"Actually, we forgot to mention this yesterday. When we met Ms. Fit, she talked about a fighter named Bowser she fought against," Fuuka stated.

"Bowser? That's a new one," Shinjiro replied. "Still, unless we get official permission from the eight chairmen, we can't properly learn about them. For now we should be making an effort to learn about Ms. Fit, Kirby, and now Shulk,"

"No problem. We have a lot of time till August," Minato stated. "Cool we can actually meet these three without them trying to beat me up as well,"

"A fitness trainer, a guy who can see the future because of his... Monado weapon and... what's the deal with Kirby anyway?" Junpei said.

"Can you describe Kirby, Aigis?" Mitsuru asked. Aigis was about to reply, but quickly considered that describing Kirby maybe a bit awkward.

"Kirby is very... different then expected. He is not human but another species that is unlike any of the other fighters," Aigis stated.

"Well that's not a big deal. We saw Shulk take on that turtle monster a while back," Ken said.

"Yes but that creature was based on a turtle at the very least. Kirby is... unlike anything from what we know. Perhaps we shall wait for Fuuka-san to properly research and introduce him, as I still do not know a lot about him. I feel she can do a better job explaining him," Aigis replied.

"But now I'm really curious," Junpei whined, as Koromaru barked in agreement with him.

"If Aigis feels that's the best course of action, then that's how she feels," Mitsuru stated. "Yamagishi, you don't mind researching these three fighters?"

"Not at all Mitsuru sempai. Anything to contribute to the team," Fuuka stated. "By tomorrow, I should be ready with a report on each of them,"

"Don't over work yourself Fuuka. Since I don't have to fight them, take it easy on the details." Minato suggested, as he knew that Fuuka always wanted to help out and be useful. Fuuka nodded to him, understanding his concern. "A basic bio, and their basic fighting styles should be fine. No need to go super in depth with strategies to beat them since I won't be facing off against them,"

"I understand Minato. Well before I do any research, let's get some breakfast together," Fuuka replied, as they could all agree to that. Time passed as the next day came by, as they held another meeting, as Fuuka was ready to show off her research.

The boys finally got to see Ms. Fit. She was indeed the most pale person they had ever seen, as she fought with fitness moves and yoga poses in her light blue tank top that exposed her midriff, black shorts, and was barefoot. She ran a gym called, Wii Fit Studios, hence where her title of Wii Fit Trainer, probably came from. Her Final Smash was pretty bizarre as she summoned a bunch of silhouettes of yoga poses, to send Sandbag fighting, but otherwise she seemed pretty normal. Granted it was wise not to underestimate her, seeing how doing a yoga pose called the Sun Salutation, allowed her to summon a yellow energy ball, reminiscent of the sun, or how she spike a soccer ball towards her opponents with a Header move. She was probably the most fit person, they saw so far, from this whole competition as she took her health very seriously, but was a very kind and caring individual at the same time. Akihiko had to admit, he could see why Little Mac would be attracted to Ms. Fit now.

Next came learning about Shulk. He came from a world that had a very complicated history. Shulk's world was comprised of two former gods, known as the Bionis and Mechonis, where creatures of many kinds lived on their now giant deceased corpses. Shulk was a scientist who studied the Monado, as it was a very special weapon with it's very unique properties. However one day, something tragic happened to someone he really cared about, as someone known as Metal Face had their clawed ways with this person. Shulk then went on an adventure, using the Monado to take revenge upon Metal Face, and along the way, he met many companions and learned many truths about the world, and the future in general as he was bestowed this ability by the Monado. His weapon they saw before when fighting that turtle monster, but they now learned some new things about it, and more information on his fighting style in general. What made him stand out from the other sword fighters (besides his very unique weapon) was an ability called Monado Arts. He could choose to strengthen one of his attributes temporarily, and weakened another. He was pretty versatile, not to mention his counters were supported by his Visions of the future. Still he couldn't see everything in the future, and could still be bested. His Final Smash involved him summoning two companions of his known as Dunban and Riki for a Chain Attack, which basically comprised of the three ganging up on any opponents on the field. From what they saw last night though, he was someone they could get along with well.

Finally came Kirby, who Aigis had the chance to meet before anyone else. He was probably the most unique of the three as he wasn't even human. He resembled... a pink marshmallow? A pink puffball? Well whatever he was, he was short, pink, and adorable. He also had a huge appetite as he loved to eat, but he was very kind, gentle, and carefree as well and was willing to share if you asked. He came from a place called Dream Land, which was a region on the world of Planet Popstar. Kirby has fought to protect his world from many nightmarish beings as well. One thing consistent about Kirby's world was the the symbolism of stars, as the planet was shaped like one. Back to Kirby, his powerful appetite was also his greatest asset. Any opponent he Inhaled with a vacuum like suction if they were near him, he would copy one of their opponent's ability to use for their own. Minato just pictured Kirby using an Evoker on himself, to summon a Persona, which seemed very counter intuitive to his cute image. His current Final Smash involved using a giant sword called the Ultra Sword, that if anyone got caught in the initial slash in, would get them sliced and diced, before being launched. Nonetheless, Kirby was not going to devour any opponent, so any concern about that was thankfully also addressed as well, and he was a very gentle and friendly guy. They could see why Starfy and Kirby got along so well.

After learning about the three, time was spent with them, getting to know them better. Shulk was a laid back calm individual who liked to learn new things, Kirby was a very laid back and easygoing guy, and Ms. Fit was always ready to help someone self-improve if they wanted to do so. They quickly got along well, and soon they became close. Ms. Fit was known to them for giving many helpful fitness and health related tips, every time she hanged out with any of the SEES members. Shulk had a very passive side to him as well, when he hanged out with them, as he enjoyed reading in the library. He also had a strong protective side, as he always took things personally if things weren't going anyone's way that day. He also remarked about how Aigis resembled Fiora, after finally meeting her, causing Aigis to feel complimented (Shulks's still a loyal dude of course to Fiora). Kirby, like Starfy was a very adorable and friendly guy. Kirby just liked to eat, play, or sleep (the guy just liked to nap peacefully in the indoor park), but his goodhearted and laid back nature made him very approachable and friendly to be with.

* * *

August finally hit as Summer kept up the relenting heat, as it was now August 1st on a Sunday. Thankfully Smash Tower was cooled efficiently with the many air conditioners in the building. The members of SEES approached that familiar office belonging to eight brothers who ran Smash Corp. It was the second to last time, they be receiving another order ticket from The Master. Once inside, they saw the purple wearing chairman, Fuchsia as he sneered at them.

"Well here comes the peasants, and their peasant leader who could easily become above that, if he chose to sign his contract," Fuchsia stated with a snobbish tone. The SEES members all sighed in annoyance, while Koromaru growled at him. The purple wearing chairman had a bit of an elitist complex. "I hope Mr. Arisato gets beat by his next opponents. Here's your next order from The Master,"

The purple wearing chairman handed Minato the purple ticket, as the blue haired teen began to overlook it. However the names of his opponents actually stood out for once, for multiple reasons.

"Ken and myself, will be facing off against Palutena and Bowser Jr. on August 7th?" Minato said out loud. The members of SEES looked surprised. Palutena's name they recognized as the goddess, that Pit served under, while Bowser Jr.'s name implied a lot of things they heard in the past. Things they would discuss once they were outside the office, and back to their conference room. "This will be a one stock match. The arena is Mario Circuit and the only items available is the Dragoon and the Daybreak."

"I can schedule an appointment for Mr. Arisato and his small time friend to meet with these two," Fuchsia stated with pompous hostility. They all nodded and glared at him back immediately while he smirked. "Good. I'll set it for later today from an hour from now, at the cafeteria. That's pretty much it. You can all go away now. A goddess and a prince are about to send Mr. Arisato and his young companion peasant flying in the next order,"

"Hold it! Minato usually gets a day to himself, before he meets those he interviews. What's the rush and why so soon?" Yukari questioned.

"No rush. They were both available today for an interview, and they both didn't mind if it was at that particular time today. Simple as that," Fuchsia explained. "It's not like you won't have time to research them later anyway, so scram. Out of this office, now,"

They all left the office, not wanting to deal with the elitist purple wearing chairman, and immediately headed back down to their floor, to their conference room, to discuss the details they just learned.

"Palutena!? She's the goddess that Pit works for, isn't she!?" Junpei said freaking out. "She's a fighter in this competition!?"

"Plus Bowser Jr.! That Bowser fighter we heard about... is he the father of that trouble making Junior kid we've been hearing about as well? Is the Junior that everyone talks about... Bowser Jr.?" Yukari said bewildered.

"Plus two items only huh? Dragoon and Daybreak?" Akihko said.

"From what I researched in my own time, those two items are immensely powerful," Mitsuru stated. "But to use either Dragoon, or Daybreak, you must collect the three parts that comprise each item,"

"Yes. Mitsuru is correct. Three pieces will spawn during a battle, over time, and whoever collects and assembles all three pieces for either Dragoon or Daybreak may use it," Aigis added. "For now, we should focus our efforts on learning more about Palutena and Bowser Jr., as they are the opponents, of the next order from The Master,"

"Palutena and Bowser Jr., huh?" Shinjiro said. "Oh boy. We better ask the other fighters about them later. I wonder what these two are capable of,"

"Palutena's a goddess Shinjiro sempai! She has to be really strong right?" Junpei said, feeling nervous.

"Junpei sempai calm down. We all beat Nyx and... I feel I can help Minato sempai win in his next order," Ken said, trying to calm the cap wearing teen. "Though I wonder what the deal with Bowser Jr. is though?"

"Relax Ken. We got this," Minato stated with a smirk. "In fact, I look forward to meeting my opponents so soon today,"

"Well Palutena should be a nice lady from what we heard about her but... this Bowser Jr. kid sounds like he's not afraid to mess with people," Yukari stated.

"Not to mention, his dad got angry and chased after Ike, Little Mac, and Marth back in April during that park incident from what I heard," Junpei said nervously, as Minato recalled Mega Man telling the others that story at some point. "If Bowser Jr. is a pain, I can only imagine how much worse Bowser is,"

"Umm... we could see Palutena and Bowser Jr. right now," Fuuka quietly said, as they all turned to her. "I mean, I don't think I'll have time to properly research them and do an analysis on their history and fighting style, but all our tablets should have been updated to allow us to know about Palutena and Bowser Jr. now. We can see what they look like at the very least,"

"Great idea Fuuka. Sneak peek before we meet the real deals," Minato said. Fuuka nodded as she setup her tablet and the computer equipment in the room, as she soon turned off the lights.

They were now viewing a holographic model of Palutena first. She had very long green hair, a gold laurel crown over it and wore golden jewelery in general whether it be her necklace, or two golden rings on her left arm. She also wore a white dress with many gold ornaments on it, and her white dress had vine like patterns on the helm. She wore footwear that resembled brown sandals, but they noticed she wore a white legging over her left leg, while he right leg was bare, besides her footwear. Her left arm, she had her arm through a bronze handle, connected to a blue rounded shield with golden edges, while her right arm carried a golden staff, with a long blue handle, and a blue orb that floated above the staff. She was truly befitting her title of Goddess of Light.

"Holy cow. That's Palutena?" Junpei said awestruck by her appearance. "Still can't compare to my Chidorita though,"

"So this is Palutena. The Goddess of Light that Pit serves," Aigis noted. "Ken's Persona uses light related abilities, so perhaps she was picked for such a reason?

"Possibly Aigis. Besides that, she also uses a staff and shield," Mitsuru said, as she noticed what she armed herself with. "I suppose a staff, can be seen correspondent with a spear as an equivalent weapon,"

"Not as sharp or at all, like a spear thankfully," Yukari stated. "Still I bet she has a lot of tricks up her sleeve, besides using her shield and staff,"

"But what about Bowser Jr.? Does that mean he fights with a staff or spear as well?" Akihko questioned.

"Well I guess it's time we take a sneak peek at him as well then," Shinjiro suggested. Fuuka closed the holographic model of Palutena, and she soon put up a holographic model of Bowser Jr., that caused everyone in the room to note some very peculiar things about him. Bowser Jr. himself had a reddish orange ponytail that was tied with a metal bracelet, he wore gray metal cuffs that had no spikes, compared to his father, around his wrists, he had a green spiky shell with a reddish orange ring worn around each spike, and wore a white bandana that had a crayon drawing of drawn on fangs. He had yellow reptilian skin, barring his head which was green. His head also had two small horns with red orange rings around them, he had orange eyebrows, black beady eyes, and his snout had a sharp tooth, sticking out from, the left side of his mouth. He looked rather cute and innocent, compared to another turtle creature, they all saw a while back, as realization hit them all.

"He's... a small turtle creature... and he kind of resembles the one big one we saw Shulk fight a long time ago," Junpei said, with sweat falling down his face, as he was starting to realize who Bowser's Jr.'s father was, and who Bowser's identity was.

"So if he's Junior... then the guy Shulk fought in that video we saw, must be Bowser!" Yukari exclaimed, as this realization hit them all. So this was the trouble making brat that liked to paint and crayon in other people's rooms? This was one of Dark Pit's buddies, who he liked to do pranks with? This was the son of that giant turtle monster, that could breathe fire and pulverize someone easily? "Also that purple chairman said that Bowser Jr. was a prince. That makes Bowser the king of... whatever they rule over,"

"King Bowser and Prince Bowser Jr. who are both fighters in this tournament." Mitsuru said, feeling a bit concerned. "Both father and son. Truly this competition continues to surprise us,"

"Is that also the clown car thing that was mentioned a while back?" Shinjiro pointed out, as they were all so focused on the fighter himself. Bowser Jr. was piloting what appeared to be a helicopter like vehicle, that was cup shaped, with a green propeller on the bottom. The rims were painted green, the propeller below the vehicle was green, while the rest of it was painted white, aside from the clown face that was on the front. The clown face consisted of black beady eyes, with red blushes aside them, and it had big orange lips for it's mouth. Koromaru began to whimper. He wasn't the biggest fans of clowns, so seeing the clown like vehicle, wasn't the best thing to be seeing.

"Is that thing really a clown car? Seems more like a clown copter," Akihiko said. Fuuka quickly browsed through the information on her tablet, regarding Bowser Jr., and found the information to answer Akihiko.

"Apparently it's named that way. According to what I just looked over, Bowser Jr. pilots a vehicle that's officially named the Junior Clown Car, and he uses it for all his fights in this tournament," Fuuka answered.

"The Junior Clown Car?" Ken said, unsure what to think of that name. "He gets to fight in a mech? Really? That's so unfair! Also he's one of my counterparts just because he's young?"

"Well if The Master allows it, we can't do anything about it," Minato stated in response. "Still... a fighter's a fighter Ken. Regardless of age. I bet his machine is decked out in all sorts of weapons,"

They all just sighed from what they just heard. So a green haired goddess, and a mischievous prince who used a clown looking vehicle, were Minato and Ken's opponents for this order. They soon realized they were going to meet the two, as they recalled their appointment.

"We should get going. We'll have time in the future to learn more about the two properly, but for now let's meet them both," Mitsuru stated. They all agreed, and as soon as the computer was turned off, they left the room heading to the cafeteria. Fuuka made sure to bring her teal notebook, and a sharpened pencil, as they made their way over. They soon arrived and saw some familiar faces and two faces they haven't introduced themselves to yet. Palutena flashed them all a friendly smirk, while Bowser Jr. sneered at them. They noticed that the Junior Clown Car wasn't there, which gave them a sigh of relief, in case Bowser Jr. was in a bad mood. Minato, Fuuka, and Ken sat down at their table, while the other members of SEES sat at another table.

"Nice to meet you all! I'm Palutena! I'm sure Pit's talked about me with you guys," Palutena said with a friendly smile, as she shook hands with the three. "Did he ever tell you guys how I abuse him as part of the goddess job description?"

"Huh!?" Fuuka said confused, as Palutena laughed at her reaction, while Ken and Minato raised their eyebrows at what they heard.

"Just teasing. Don't worry. No need to be so formal with me. I'm very laid back. Just treat me like any other person. No big deal on the goddess thing," Palutena said with a friendly smirk.

"Are you the reason why Pit, is always this annoyingly cheerful?" Dark Pit asked from another table, as he was eating a bowl of cereal with an annoyed expression on his face.

"I'm not annoying. I'm positive!" Pit said with a mouthful of cereal in his mouth, due to his own breakfast, as he sat next to Dark Pit.

"You gotta stay upbeat, upbeat, upbeat!" Palutena sang.

"Or you'll be dead meat, dead meat, dead meat!" Pit finished for her with a smile. Dark Pit rolled his eyes, while everyone else in the cafeteria just sighed. Palutena was definitely a dorky goddess who liked to have fun, even at her own or Pit's expense, when she wasn't being serious.

"Ms. Palutena, why do you got to be so dorky? My dad would feel embarrassed for you, if he was here right now," Bowser Jr. whined. Palutena just softly laughed, while Bowser Jr. looked at Minato, Fuuka, and Ken. "So you're Mr. Arisato, Ms. Yamagishi, and you're that Ken kid? Ha! I can't wait to beat you guys!"

"Hey! You're a kid too!" Ken replied frustrated. He was technically a teen, but he was stuck in his younger body due to The Master's influence. "That was uncalled for! Can't you just call me by my name?"

Bowser Jr. just stuck his tongue out at Ken in response, causing the young SEES member, to feel angry, but Minato and Fuuka both placed a hand on his shoulders, in an effort to calm him down.

"I'm hungry Ms. Palutena. I didn't get the chance to eat breakfast yet," Bowser Jr. whined. "Can you order for us? I want pancakes with extra syrup and strawberry milk!"

Palutena nodded to the young child, and she asked Minato, Fuuka, and Ken what they wanted. They opted for what Bowser Jr. ordered except without the extra syrup, and for regular milk.

"Pit, can you get us four orders of pancakes, three regular milks, and a strawberry milk?" Palutena asked.

"Wait a minute. You're captain of her guard... not her personal assistant like some intern," Dark Pit remarked. Pit however had other things in mind as he asked this towards her, and ignored his counterpart.

"What about you Lady Palutena?" Pit asked.

"I could use a coffee for myself," Palutena replied.

"Sure. Cream with two sugars right?" Pit said back, as Palutena nodded towards him, as he got up and headed towards the chefs to order the food and drinks. Dark Pit grumbled under his breath about Pit being a suck up, while everyone else watching sighed once more. Minato cleared his throat, as it was time to start asking questions he felt.

"So what's your relationship with Pit like? Being his superior and all," Minato asked.

"Nothing big really. While I am technically his superior, Pit's like a little brother to me," Palutena answered. "We tease each other a lot, and we have a very casual relationship because of that. Plus... Pit saved me in the past. For that I'm eternally grateful to him,"

"Pit saved you?" Fuuka asked. Palutena nodded. She went into detail on how Pit saved her from another goddess known as Medusa, a while back. More recently, Pit saved her from a creature called the Chaos Kin that possessed her. She told them, that while Pit was a very goofy individual, he can be really serious when the situation calls for it.

"Wow. Pit's a really awesome angel," Ken remarked. Soon Pit was back as he handed them each their food. He soon sat back down with Dark Pit, while Fuuka jotted down the new information.

"So I hear you two are the talk from certain fighters who have faced off with you two," Palutena asked, as she pointed at both Minato and Fuuka. "Minato for being the fighter, and Fuuka being the support, isn't that right?"

"Yes. I'm glad to have it that way," Minato stated, causing Fuuka to blush and smile from what she heard. Palutena noticed the girls blush, and she felt very happy for the two.

"That's so sweet. Reminds me, when I support Pit in his missions. I also communicate advice towards him, when he's out fighting back in our world. I wish you all good luck in the following match," Palutena said excitedly. Bowser Jr. however just yawned, while he took a drink from his strawberry milk.

"This is boring. I want to talk next Ms. Palutena!" Bowser Jr. whined.

"Sure Junior. I think I'm done for now anyway. Just going to enjoy my coffee," Palutena said, as she began drinking her hot beverage.

"Yeah! Ask me anything!" Bowser Jr. shouted excited. Minato rolled his eyes, as he wasn't exactly sure he wanted to deal with this brat. He suddenly came up with a question that he was sure to get an interesting response with.

"Who's your mother?" Minato asked with a smirk. Bowser Jr. froze, while Palutena spit out coffee from her mouth, coughing with shocked eyes, while everyone else in the cafeteria looked very surprised, with what Minato just asked. Silence filled the whole cafeteria as Bowser Jr. just stared at Minato with his mouth open and hanging, unsure of what to say. After some time passed, he gritted his teeth and answered Minato back loudly.

"**I'M NOT ANSWERING THAT!**" Bowser Jr. yelled out. "Next question that's not from the blue haired meanie! I want to hear from Ms. Yamaghishi. She looks like a nice person!"

"I heard you like to paint and crayon in other people's rooms a lot. Don't you think that's a bit naughty?" Fuuka asked calmly, still surprised by how bold Minato was, for asking his question before.

"No. Papa encourages me to be naughty. When I grow up, I'm going to be just be as evil as he is!" Bowser Jr. proudly proclaimed. Fuuka just sighed, while Palutena looked disapprovingly at Bowser Jr., as he evilly smirked.

"Now Junior, do you think Peach would approve of your behavior?" Palutena said, while Bowser Jr. looked saddened upon hearing that. Fuuka made sure to jot that name down, as she along with Minato and Ken, wondered who Peach was. "You've been really bad lately. You need to tone it down. At least the thing where you're messing up other people's rooms with paint and crayons. I don't think Peach likes it when you do that,"

"Oh... well alright. I guess I'll stop like Ms. Yamagishi suggested," Bowser Jr. said reluctantly as he looked away feeling embarrassed, while Fuuka was glad the young child could behave better. Bowser Jr. then faced Ken and rolled his black beady eyes.

"You have any questions for me... kid?" Bowser Jr. asked with a arrogant smirk. Ken was fuming, but calmed down as he took a deep breath, before he asked Bowser Jr., his question.

"How come you fight in a mech? No one else as far as we know fights like that in this tournament, but you do?" Ken asked. Bowser Jr. immediately stopped drinking his strawberry milk, as he looked at Ken angrily while all the other fighters were immediately silent. Fuuka noticing this, jotted this down as it seemed to occur.

"What did you say?" Bowser Jr., asked with raised eyebrows, while he felt annoyed.

"I said, why do you fight with a mech, as opposed to not fighting with one?" Ken asked. Palutena tried to signal to Minato and Fuuka, to make Ken stop talking about this, as she knew that the young boy didn't know that this was a touchy subject for Bowser Jr., as the young fighter looked more angry. Minato and Fuuka caught on as they placed a hand on Ken's shoulders once more, as a signal to stop talking. Bowser Jr., however was still going to reply to what he just heard.

"None of your beeswax kid!" Bowser Jr. replied annoyed. The prince looked around, trying to calm himself down. He then saw something that did calm him down. "Hey! I didn't know we had a puppy here!"

Bowser Jr. immediately got off his cafeteria seat, to walk to Koromaru who sat with the other SEES members, as the white Shiba Inu looked at him curiously. Bowser Jr. began to pet the dog lovingly, while Koromaru allowed him to do so.

"Aww you're so fluffy and cute! I want you for a pet!" Bowser Jr. proclaimed, as he continued to pet Koromaru with gentleness.

"Umm... he doesn't belong to you," Junpei said out loud.

"Yeah. He belongs to-" but before Yukari could finish, Bowser Jr. said something that made both Yukari and Junpei freak out.

"Be quiet, or I'm going to tell my papa on you two, for being meanies to me!" Bowser Jr. said out loud. Junpei and Yukari both had a fearful expression on their face, as they both remained silent. They definitely did not want their first time meeting Bowser, to be a scary one, if they ever had to. Bowser Jr. eventually stopped petting the dog, as he went back to sitting next to Palutena and he seemed to be a lot more happy.

"I want him Ms. Palutena! I want that puppy for myself! It's like when papa told me a story, when he was around my age, he wanted a green donkey and-" but before Bowser Jr. could finish, Ken began to clear his throat to interrupt the mischievous prince. Minato and Fuuka tried to stop him from talking once more, but it was too late.

"You still didn't answer my question. Your dad from what we saw didn't fight with one, so why-" Bowser Jr., having had enough of hearing this line of questioning from Ken, grabbed the pancakes he had yet to eat yet from his plate, and threw them right at Ken's face as a loud comical smack was heard and they stayed on his face, due to the syrup's stickiness. Everyone awkwardly stared at the scene, as Bowser Jr., began to jump up and down, as he threw a comical temper tantrum, with smoke rising out of his head turning slowly red, while Ken's face was covered in pancakes and a lot of syrup, as he froze, as he was shocked that really just happened to him.

"I'm done with breakfast! I don't want to be with these meanies anymore! Next Friday I'll make sure to beat you two with my Junior Clown Car for sure!" Bowser Jr., yelled as he began to run out of the cafeteria, but not before running back to grab his cup that had his remaining strawberry milk. Palutena using her magic, immediately made the pancakes on Ken's face disappear and cleaned it as well. She then apologized for Bowser Jr.'s behavior, saying that was wrong of him to do, and she then left, wanting to calm the young prince down and making sure he was alright. All the other fighters who were in the room felt awkward at what they just witnessed, so they stayed silent as they were unsure to say anything or to get involved, while the members of SEES regrouped.

"Well I think something new had indeed occurred," Mitsuru stated, in a concerned tone. "We have met our first fighter from this competition, we are on very unfriendly terms with,"

"Spank that kid and his clown machine, in your match will you?" Shinjiro stated, as he felt annoyed by Bowser Jr.'s bad behavior. Minato nodded, while he turned to face Ken who sighed.

"Ken... why did you keep asking about Junior using his machine for his fights?" Minato asked.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kept pushing it." Ken replied. "I don't understand. Why couldn't he just say his reason? Plus he kept calling me kid and it was bothering me!"

"Well it's alright. Admittedly I'm curious myself for why he fights with a mech," Minato said. "But letting him get to you like that, is not really a good thing. What if he does the same thing in our match and riles you up? Then you can't focus, and he can take advantage of that,"

"You're right. I'm sorry again," Ken said. "But to be fair, you did ask about who his mom was. I don't think he's very fond of you either,"

"I can admit that. No worries. We can always fix things later between him and us," Minato replied. "Anyway... so do any of you want anything to say?"

"It is probably not wise to get Bowser involved," Aigis stated. They all agreed to that. Dealing with Bowser Jr., has proven to be difficult. Getting big bad Bowser involved, would probably be even worse.

"I never want to get a job involving kids," Akihiko stated. "Dealing with children must be the toughest training to endure in life, for those who choose that path,"

"I guess we should get ready," Fuuka said. "Still, I hope he's calmed down and alright,"

"I'm sure he will. He did bring his strawberry milk with him, as he left the cafeteria," Minato pointed out. He then began to think the details of his next order over again. Ken and himself, were having a one stock match, with the only items appearing being the Dragoon and Daybreak. They would be facing off against Palutena and Bowser Jr., at an arena called Mario Circuit. It made him wonder why it was named Mario Circuit.

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**What did you guys think of the chapter? Notes as always. The last note being a very important one.  
**

**1\. ****Palutena was chosen as an opponent, due to using a staff as a weapon primarily. Ken's weapon is a spear, which Minato also uses, while Palutena uses the closest thing to a spear, with her staff. Also her association with light, corresponds with Ken's element being associated with light in the Persona series. Bowser Jr. was picked to have a young counterpart, as Ken is the youngest member of SEES, and Bowser Jr. himself is young. One reminder is, that in Chapter 1, all of the SEES members are in their Persona 3 bodies, due to The Master's influence, so Ken is physically a kid still. Smash Bros has multiple young characters, but I picked Bowser Jr. for reasons, I'll state in the next note.  
**

**2\. ****Bowser Jr. and Palutena were very fun to work with. Palutena has a very dorky, and fun loving personality to work with, from Kid Icarus Uprising (as some of her dialogue, references some lines from that game). Bowser Jr. was extremely fun to write, considering we finally have a fighter who's more outright hostile, then friendly towards the members of SEES. Granted Dark Pit was a bit mean towards them at first, but he calmed down. Bowser Jr. being the brat he is, might not be as easy to placate.**

**3\. The Mario Circuit stage being used for the next fight will probably be the one, introduced in Super Smash Bros 3DS/Wii U, and is also from Mario Kart 8. **

**4\. ****Junpei referenced Chidori from Persona 3. A girl he has a crush on, whose fate is not entirely made clear, if she's still alive in the future, as she can be either dead or alive depending on your choices in Persona 3. I kind of left it ambiguous if she's still alive or not. I'm not entirely sure how to proceed with this detail, if I decide to bring it up again, as of right now.  
**

**5\. ****Why did Bowser Jr. get mad, about being asked about using his Junior Clown Car to fight with from Ken? That is something to learn about in future chapters.**

**6\. So Bowser Jr. talking about his dad, wanting a green donkey, around his age, references the final boss battle of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, where Baby Bowser (Bowser himself as a very young individual, not to be confused with Bowser Jr.) commented on wanting Yoshi as a pet green donkey, before he was fought.**

**7\. So at the time of this writing, weeks after this was announced, Super Smash Bros for 3DS/Wii U will be incorporating DLC characters into the roster. Mewtwo is now out as of this writing, and Lucas (from Super Smash Bros Brawl &amp; Mother 3) is currently being planned for the Summer tentatively. Also more DLC characters and content are being planned for release in general, as things like the Smash Ballot (where people can vote for their favorite video game characters to be DLC characters in the new Smash Bros possibly) have shown. I'm not entirely sure, how I'll be handling this new content to work with for future chapters, so that will be something that could go either way.**

**That about covers it. As always, if you got something to say, speak your mind. Otherwise, I hoped you enjoyed the chapter! Till the next chapter.**


	16. Assembling The Pieces To Victory

**Chapter 16 is here at last! I want to address some reviews before moving on. First off, regarding mentioning Ness and Pikachu, I'll see what I can do for future chapters. I'm sure I can find a way to mention them at some point. I will bring up both Lucas and Mewtwo at some point, but that won't be for a while or when I can see a way to do so, I decided. Thank you for the best of luck from the guest, known as cgStryker. To another guest review, I can say that Ken will... play a hand towards Bowser Jr.'s imminent outcome in this battle. You'll have to read to find out. For the last review, I completely understand where you are coming from and apologize for the wait, but I have stated in the header for Chapter 11, that my schedule has significantly become more busy. I would love to have more time to consistently write, but now a days my schedule is far more inconsistent as well. It's no guarantee when the next Chapter will appear, but rest assured, this story is one I intend to complete.  
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**Otherwise, I hope I addressed your concerns sufficiently. As always, if you have anything you want to say, speak, comment, etc, don't be afraid to do so. I'm always curious to hear other people's thoughts on my work. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

The next day after the members of SEES got to have a firsthand experience with Palutena and Bowser Jr., (in Ken's case, a face full of pancakes which served as an embarrassing reminder) they were back in their conference room, as Fuuka had a report on both, as well as the new arena ready. Since yesterday, they already covered what they looked like, today they could go more straight into their biography and fighting style.

"Let's start with Palutena. Palutena is the Goddess of Light and she rules over Skyworld, which is her dominion in Pit's world. She provides and cares for humanity, and wishes to protect it from anyone or anything that dares to harm it. Palutena has worked with Pit with three main incidents, that have occurred in their world," Fuuka explained.

"Three incidents?" Aigis asked. "What was the first one?"

"Well the first incident involved Medusa, who Palutena mentioned yesterday, but will be going into more detail about. Medusa was the Goddess of Darkness, and she and Palutena used to rule Skyworld together. But unlike Palutena, Medusa however despised humanity. One day she caused great destruction to the humans of their world, as she tormented people by destroying all their crops, turning humans into stone, and so on." Fuuka explained.

"Ugh. Sounds like a pretty messed up goddess," Yukari said with disgust, for what she just heard about Medusa.

"When Palutena found out, she banished Medusa to the Underworld. However Medusa sought revenge, so she amassed her own army, made up of monsters from the Underworld, and attacked Palutena and her army in Skyworld. Palutena was imprisoned in her own temple by Medusa, but she communicated with Pit who was imprisoned in the Underworld after that attack, to save her. Palutena using whatever strength she had left, to grant Pit his Palutena's Bow, and asked him to recover the Three Sacred Treasures. He managed to do so, and defeated the Underworld Army and Medusa, saving Palutena. This is the first incident,"

"So this is what Palutena meant by Pit saving her from Medusa," Mitsuru stated. "But what about the second and third incidents?"

"The second incident is not really as known as much, for some reason compared to the first and third incident from what I researched, but I'll try to sum up what I can," Fuuka stated. "Sometime after Medusa's initial defeat, Palutena received a dream where she saw Skyworld being attacked from the Underworld Army once more, this time led by a demon beast called Orcos. She then saw a soothsayer who indeed confirmed her dreams would come true. Pit once again had to defeat the Underworld Army led by Orcos," Fuuka explained.

"Man. I'm still glad to not be living in that universe," Junpei said with a sighed expression. "I know ours has a lot of problems with stuff like Shadows, but man this Underworld Army sure like to cause trouble."

"Speaking of the Underworld Army... they came back for the third incident," Fuuka stated, causing everyone to sigh or roll their eyes at this unrelenting army. "After twenty five years after Medusa's defeat, she was resurrected by the Lord of the Underworld, Hades. Hades sought to use Medusa's hatred for Pit and Palutena, to defeat them, as he saw them as obstacles for his own plan, to harvest souls for malicious purposes. Medusa tried to have her revenge on Pit and Palutena but failed. Then it gets a lot more complicated as many other different groups got involved. Viridi and her Forces of Nature, an alien species called the Aurum, and the being that possessed Palutena, the Chaos Kin. After a lot of different entities got put in their place in some way, Pit finally ended that incident by defeating Hades,"

"That incident sounds... way more chaotic then it needs to be. Especially compared to the first two," Shinjiro stated. Koromaru barked in agreement, with what Shinjiro said. "You agree as well Koromaru? Then again, in a world filled with gods, goddesses, and other supernatural beings, I suppose that was par for the course, for them,"

"So that about wraps up her biography I guess," Akihiko stated. Fuuka however shook her head for a no, as she prepared one more thing to discuss.

"Actually... from my research, I found a video that was narrated by Palutena. It discussed the first and third incident, and showed off footage of them somewhat. We can watch it, if you guys want," Fuuka suggested.

"Sure Fuuka. More knowledge the better," Minato said. She soon turned the lights off the room, and prepared the video. It soon played, as it was mainly narrated by Palutena. The video started by depicting Palutena in a serious expression, with her eyes closed, as she was stuck inside a prison, inside her temple. It had her narrating how she was imprisoned and how Pit saved her. The video then depicted Pit standing over a cliff, in the sky, but as a young boy and he had a very serious expression on his face. The video then showed the teenager Pit, taking off into the sky, as he exited a temple ready to confront the Underworld Army attacking the humans once more. Then the video shifted perspective as it depicted a town being attacked, as many humans were hit with spells turning them into stone. A giant women who wore a dark purple dress, very pale skin, and black hair was seen casting them as she cackled with glee. Koromaru whimpered at the sight, of seeing the people being turned to stone. However a familiar voice, but now in a deadly serious tone was heard, yelling in anger towards Medusa.

"Stop Goddess of Darkness! I warn you, I will not allow this!" Palutena ordered as she appeared in the distance, raising her staff towards Medusa's direction, as she wore an extremely furious and serious expression, on her face. Silence filled the air, as Medusa faced Palutena, with an arrogant smirk.

"What a surprise Lady Palutena," Medusa mocked calmly, before she shifted to anger. "You dare to meddle in my affairs!? I'll have your head before long!"

The video then transitioned back to the the older Pit as it showed him fighting the Underworld Army, that consisted of monsters they saw in the sky from the Reset Bomb Forest a while back, as he dodged their attacks, and fired back upon them using his weapons. Soon Medusa reappeared once more, her appearance being altered as her black hair now had giant snakes hissing among it, she held a large serpentine styled staff, and her dress was like a dark counterpart to Palutena's white dress now. Pit was seen confronting her, as Pit angrily shouted her name before the video ended. Silence filled the room as they took in what they saw.

"Wow. I know Pit can be a total goofball... but he was actually being legitimately serious from what we saw." Yukari said. "It's just like what Palutena said yesterday in regards to him,"

"Palutena herself kind of gave off that impression yesterday of being a bit of a goof as well, as she was being pretty jokey and all. She showed she can be pretty lighthearted... see what I did there?" Junpei said, as Yukari groaned from the pun, while Minato just rolled his eyes. "But damn. She was actually really professional in that video. Complete reversal from the goddess we met yesterday,"

"Keep in mind Iori. Palutena is still like anyone else, despite her status as a goddess. She'll act accordingly to the situation and to those around her," Mitsuru replied. "That said, I didn't mind her playful and cheerful personality yesterday. It shows she's friendly and easy to work with. I also appreciate seeing her being authoritative and dignified when the situations calls for it, as her confrontation with Medusa has shown,"

"This should be sufficient information, regarding her background," Aigis stated, as they all agreed. "I believe it's time we learn about her fighting style,"

Fuuka soon put on a video that depicted that ever so familiar white training room, with Sandbag in it. Palutena was seen twirling her staff in a circular motion with many of her attacks, utilizing it. She would release the staff forwards and it would twirl in a circular motion on it's own, whether it be sideways, upward, downward, or while in the air. She also made a stabbing motion with the staff, where the orb on top, would radiate with blueish white light energy, damaging Sandbag with the contact. She was also not afraid to kick downwards and forward in the air, and she liked to shield bash Sandbag with her shield, with her dashes. She also summoned angel wings, to hit downwards while on the ground, or whoever was in front of her for a hit and a push with the brief wind blown. Finally using her staff, she summoned a pillar of blueish white light energy in front of her, that had incredible reach.

"She has a lot of reach with her attacks in general due to that staff of hers. Also good to see her shield is more then just for defending as well," Minato pointed out. "I bet she still has more tricks up her sleeve, isn't that right Fuuka?"

"Yes. She can use her staff to use an ability called Auto-Reticule where her staff will fire three projectile shots of light energy at an opponent. If Palutena is standing still, and she bashes her shield forward, she summons a Reflect Barrier. It's a large square golden barrier that appears in front of her, that will reflect any projectiles, so it's comparable to Pit and Dark's Pit's Guardian Orbitars. Unlike their Guardian Orbitars, she can only summon a Reflect Barrier in front of her and it's briefly out. As for other moves, she can teleport with her Warp, a short distance away, but not continuously. Finally like some other fighters in this competition, she can use a Counter maneuver, though for her, she uses her staff for it," Fuuka explained.

Palutena demonstrated these last techniques and it was just as Fuuka described. She used her staff to fire three spherical blueish white energy shots of light at Sandbag. She then walked up to Sandbag, and summoned a Reflect Barrier, that pushed Sandbag a bit forward before lingering in front of her for a bit. She then used her Warp, vanishing from the spot she was in a blueish white light, and reemerged behind Sandbag. She then demonstrated a Counter, as she went into a defensive stance with her shield.

"And of course, her Final Smash even if it's not in play for this match. Palutena's Final Smash is called the Black Hole Laser. Palutena will summon a large Black Hole in front of her, that is to help trap opponents for the Mega Laser she summons, to send her opponents flying," Fuuka explained. Palutena broke a Smash Ball, and she soon glowed with an intimidating aura surround her. Facing Sandbag, she summoned a large dark vortex, that the immobile Sandbag was immobile within (though he wasn't exactly mobile to begin with), and she soon fired a huge wide laser beam that consistently hit Sandbag, before the living bag of sand got sent flying away. Palutena using her divine power, made her staff float aside her, as she brushed her green hair with her right hand, and shouted "Ready when you are!" for her taunt, as the video ended.

"As always, the opponents in this competition are pretty top notch fighters," Akihiko praised. "So I guess we're done with Palutena and we can now learn more about Bowser Jr., since he's the other opponent for this upcoming order,"

"So what details were you able to dig up in regards, to the mischievous Junior?" Minato asked, as Fuuka nodded towards him.

"Bowser Jr. is the Prince of the Koopas. Koopas are a turtle like race from the world he's from. Junior and his father are part of their kingdom's royalty." Fuuka explained.

"Turtle like beings... I remember we saw that one Assist Trophy a while back. The one with that turtle that threw the hammers? Was that a Koopa?" Ken asked. Fuuka nodded back to him.

"Yes. That was one of many kinds. From what I researched, many kinds of Koopas exist. Junior, his father, and his siblings are all considered the strongest, rarest, and-" but before Fuuka continued speaking, the rest of SEES heard something very surprising from her.

"Wait a minute! Siblings? Junior has siblings?" Yukari asked surprised.

"Sorry to not mention it sooner. I just found out about it, when I was researching him yesterday." Fuuka said. "Yes he does. Junior has six brothers and one sister,"

"Holy crap. So including Junior himself... that means Bowser... has eight kids!?" Junpei exclaimed.

"That's a pretty big family," Shinjiro added on, feeling awkward at this new information. "So anyway, the kid has six brothers and one sister huh? Guess he must be special, if he got selected to be in this tournament out of all of them,"

"Well... apparently Junior is considered to be his father's favorite. Though I'm sure he loves all his children. That and he's the only one that looks the closest to him out of his children," Fuuka said. "Keep in mind, it's The Master who makes those decisions to pick who he wants in,"

"I wonder what the rest of his siblings look like then?" Akihiko said curiously. "Bowser Jr. looks the closest to his dad huh? Guess it explains the Junior part of his name,"

Fuuka using the computer in the room decided to bring up an image that showed off Bowser Jr.'s siblings, all seven of them. They noted how similar yet different they looked to Junior and their father. The one with a cyan mohawk, a blue star shaped tattoo on the left side of his head, cyan eyes, and cyan shell, was Larry Koopa. The biggest one with brown reptilian skin, a white skinned head, star birthmark on the left side of his face, and a black shell was Morton Koopa. The only girl of the family that wore a pink bow with white polka dots on her yellow skinned head, a red beaded necklace, pink heels, and a pink spiked shell was Wendy O. Koopa.

Next came a very tall looking sibling, as he wore black framed circular glasses, his hair was shaped bizarrely like a pineapple head and was lime green, his spiky shell was a lime green as opposed to Junior's plain green spiky shell. This tall glasses wearing guy was Iggy Koopa. Another brother appeared, and he looked to be the second biggest, though he was more muscle then fat, compared to Morton. He wore a purple spiked shell, wore pinkish red framed sunglasses on his pink reptilian skinned head. This tough guy was Roy Koopa. Second to last was the smallest and shortest of Junior's siblings. He wore an orange spiky shell, had a lazy eye, and had a multicolored mohawk, consisting of yellow, blue, and pink, (mostly yellow) and it ended in a yellowish ponytail with an orange tip. He was Lemmy Koopa.

Finally came the oldest sibling who had blue hair in the style of Ludwig van Beethoven, had a beaver like fang protrude from the center of his mouth, and he wore a blue spiky shell. This was Ludwig Koopa and he was the last of Junior's siblings. Every sibling barring Wendy, wore black metal spiked cuffs, while Wendy wore two gold rings around her wrists, which contrasted from Junior's cuffs that had no spikes, though they generally didn't resemble him or his father. They were definitely the same species of Koopa, and to an extent they resembled their father, but definitely not as much as Junior did.

"Geez. Everyone and everything are so color coordinated now a days," Yukari mentioned. "I'm assuming they're all just as rotten as Junior and his father right?"

"Yes. Junior's seven siblings are known as the Koopalings when together, and they love being mean according to my research," Fuuka explained. "Still, I think it's time we shifted our discussion back to Junior himself."

"Agreed. While it's troublesome to know, that the whole Bowser family is made up of misfits it seems, we should really focus our efforts on Bowser Jr. himself," Mitsuru stated. "How exactly does he fight with his Junior Clown Car, Yamagishi?"

Fuuka nodded in response to Mitsuru, as she pulled up a video that depicted Bowser Jr. piloting the Junior Clown Car against Sandbag. The Junior Clown Car was seen demonstrating many weapons against Sandbag. Boxing gloves attached to metal mechanical arms that emerged from the side of the vehicle, as it punched away at Sandbag, then Junior had the Junior Clown Car's mechanical arms reemerge with drills at the end, as the machine drilled into Sandbag, knocking it afar. Bowser Jr. had the machine approach Sandbag, with a buzz saw attached to the machine, emerging from the Junior Clown Car's orange mouth, ripping the Sandbag a new one (that miraculously never had his sandy innards spilled out). The Junior Clown Car leaped as a ball and chain like wrecking ball emerged, from where the drill or boxing glove attachments previously did, and smacked the bag of sand, before a hatch opened below with a drill, drilling into Sandbag from above. Junior has his vehicle approach Sandbag, and a green circular claw attachment, came out grabbing the bag of sand, as Junior went to work with a red toy hammer, with a yellow handle. Soon the other mechanical arm emerged with a boxing glove, as it punched the held Sandbag in place, knocking it forward. Junior repeated the grabbing, as he threw Sandbag upwards and backwards with the claw grabbing it. The Junior Clown Car even hard a large fork emerge from where it's other arm based weapons would emerge, and forked Sandbag a new one. All while Koromaru whimpered, as Ken petted the dog to comfort, due to not being a fan of clowns.

"It even comes with it's own pair of boxing gloves?"Akihiko pointed out, surprised.

"It has a big fork as a weapon as well Akihiko sempai," Junpei said in disbelief.

"I admit. The engineering on that machine, is pretty impressive, to hold and switch all those weapons with such ease," Mitsuru said, impressed by the Junior Clown Car, she had to admit. "Shame it's piloted by such a poor mannered child,"

"That machine is equipped with many weapons from what we just saw. Boxing gloves for punching, drills for drilling, wrecking balls for wrecking, a fork for stabbing, and a claw to grab someone, and to allow Junior to proceed from there," Aigis stated. "It seems probable, the Junior Clown Car still has more armaments within itself,"

"Yes it does Aigis. The Junior Clown Car still has more tools at Junior's disposal to utilize. It has the Clown Cannon, where a cannon will emerge from the Junior Clown Car's mouth and fire a cannonball. Bowser Jr. can also choose to charge the shot, resulting in a stronger and faster cannonball being fired if he chooses to do so," Fuuka explained. The Junior Clown Car had it's Clown Cannon emerge from it's mouth, as it quickly fired a cannonball at Sandbag. Junior then had the Junior Clown Car use it's Clown Cannon once more, but the machine waited, before firing. This time the cannonball shot came out way faster, and hit Sandbag a lot harder compared to the previous shot.

"Next up are the Mechakoopas. The Junior Clown Car can deploy little toy robots, from the same hatch where it uses it's downward drill attack in the air. These Mechakoopas will walk forward, and if they run into someone, will shortly detonate. If they move around long enough, or are damaged, they'll also explode. However Bowser Jr. can only deploy one Mechakoopa at a time, and has to wait till the current one in the field is gone. That's one of their drawbacks," Fuuka explained. The Junior Clown Car opened the hatch beneath it's orange lipped mouth, as a green and orange like toy like turtle robot emerged and walked forward. It soon exploded, causing the members of SEES to just be amazed by how many weapons it stored. "Also Mechakoopas if they're picked up by the black windup key on them, will have their detonation delayed, allowing whoever picking it up to throw it. Something to keep in mind for Minato-kun and Ken-kun,"

"The Junior Clown Car can deploy explosive toys?" Yukari said. "Geez, that brat has everything in that machine of his. Watch it have the ability to transform or something,"

"Actually... that's a really good guess Yukari. The Junior Clown Car can also transform into a kart. The maneuver Junior performs once the vehicle has turned itself into a kart, is the Clown Kart Dash, as the propeller beneath the vehicle is switched out for four wheels and it's car engine emerges. The Junior Clown Car will dash forward, ramming into anyone or anything in it's way." Fuuka explained. The Junior Clown Car's green propeller switched into four orange wheels and inside the machine, and two large green exhaust pipes appeared with blue fire exhausting from them, as the Junior Clown Car dashed and rammed into Sandbag, sending the bag of sand flying. One thing they all noticed besides this and in general of the Junior Clown Car, was that whenever it attacked, it's black beady eyes were replaced with orange glared eyes as it changed into it's angry expressions.

"That Junior Clown Car is armed to the teeth and sure loves to glare when attacking," Shinjiro pointed out. "You two better be on guard and not get rammed by that thing as well,"

"Don't worry Shinjiro-san." Ken said with confidence and a serious expression. "I'm not letting Bowser Jr. beat me or Minato sempai. Isn't that right?"

Minato nodded towards Ken, to show his agreement with what he just heard. Bowser Jr. along with Palutena were shaping up to be strong and tricky opponents, but they were definitely going to not be dismayed by the information they learned.

"Fuuka... I was wondering... about Bowser Jr.'s vehicle. The Junior Clown Car," Yukari said in a curious and concerned tone. "That thing is normally a helicopter... well sort of. Does it have the ability to fly indefinitely?"

"Oh yeah. Yuka-tan brings up a really good point. That Junior Clown Car has that green propeller underneath it normally. Doesn't that mean he doesn't have to worry about falling off an arena, if he can just fly around in that thing?" Junpei asked.

"Well apparently, The Master made some restrictions on it, from what I heard from the other fighters. The Junior Clown Car when used in battles in this tournament, is restricted to two upward propels, before being allowed to propel anymore. Only when it lands on the ground again can it regain it's propels," Fuuka explained. "But he still has a great recovery. He also has one more interesting technique called Abandon Ship, which he can use to help him get back onto an arena, and to attack as well,"

Bowser Jr. had his Junior Clown Car move nearby Sandbag. He then was launched upward as the seat beneath him, had a spring pop the seat upwards, and the Junior Clown Car then exploded shortly afterward, singing Sandbag. As soon as Bowser Jr. landed back on the ground, his Junior Clown Car reappeared as good as new. Bowser Jr. repeated the technique, but this time while he was launched in the air, he swung with a small black hammer horizontally, as it showed he wasn't completely defenseless without his Junior Clown Car, before he landed back on the ground, and was soon within it once more.

"What the heck? He launches himself out of his Junior Clown Car, it blows up, and it's back as if it didn't blow up, upon him landing on the ground?" Junpei asked confused by what he just saw. "Does that make any logical sense whatsoever?"

"You should know by now, anything goes in Smash, for better or worse Junpei," Shinjiro stated. "For this kid, he definitely has a lot going for him with that clown looking machine of his,"

"I presume The Master allows such a thing to happen for Bowser Jr. considering he relies on fighting with the Junior Clown Car for his matches here," Mitsuru answered. "Still, he definitely has a lot of ways to approach his opponents. He's very well armed indeed,"

"He won't use Abandon Ship, unless he really has to, since he's really vulnerable without his Junior Clown Car," Fuuka pointed out. "Still, it is something to keep in mind, just in case,"

"We should go over his Final Smash. Let's see what the kid is capable of with a Smash Ball," Akihiko added on.

The video soon showed Bowser Jr. breaking a Smash Ball with his Junior Clown Car, as he started to glow. He then suddenly transformed into a dark blueish shadowy figure, with red eyes that resembled a a middle aged mustached man wearing overalls and a cap. The figure held what appeared to be a large paintbrush dabbled in orange paint on the brush end. The shadowy dark blue figure using the paintbrush drew a large orange X symbol in the white room, and when Sandbag made contact with the paint, he was damaged and knocked around, before the paint eventually went away, and Sandbag was sent flying very far away in the room. Bowser Jr. was now back in his Junior Clown Car as he made his vehicle perform a doughnut maneuver, as he switched out the vehicle's green propeller for its orange wheels and car pipes, as it spun in a circular direction in place as Bowser Jr. smirked with confidence as the video ended.

"What you just saw was called, Shadow Mario Paint. What Bowser Jr. did was transform into someone known as Shadow Mario, and using that paintbrush, spreads paint across the arena. Anyone who touches the paint gets damaged as it has a burning property," Fuuka explained. "That's about it for Bowser Jr.'s fighting style. Does anyone have any more questions, before we move onto discussing the new arena?"

"Who is Shadow Mario though?" Aigis asked very confused. The rest of SEES also agreed, as they had no clue who this individual though.

"Before I explain that, I should explain who Mario is. Bowser's rival is a guy named Mario apparently. Whenever Bowser and his family try to come up with some evil scheme, Mario is always ready to foil them. Bowser Jr. first met Mario by impersonating him as Shadow Mario, and tried to get him thrown in jail at an island resort called Delfino Island in their world," Fuuka explained. "Though from what I heard from the other fighters, the real Mario barely looks similar to Shadow Mario barring the same look, as Mario isn't shadowy or dark blue like Shadow Mario at all. Either way, the plan worked, but it ended up backfiring as Mario uncovered the truth and stopped Bowser Jr. and his father from taking over that island,"

"Why would the people at Delfino Island mix him up, for Shadow Mario if he looked so different?" Aigis asked. Fuuka shrugged as she honestly wasn't sure how to answer. The plan seemed flawed, despite it working to a degree. Minato immediately noted the name Mario, as it reminded him of the new arena he soon be fighting on with Ken.

"Mario... isn't the new arena called Mario Circuit?" Minato said, causing Fuuka to nod back. "Let me guess, it was named after him?"

"Apparently so. Guess it's time to take a look at Mario Circuit," Fuuka answered. They all soon viewed a video that depicted the new arena. It was a huge racetrack that had some... was like a twisted figure eight. The race circuit was pretty weird as it seemed to defy gravity with parts of it functioning due to anti gravity technology, as twelve kart racers raced each other on the circuit. It had pipes, sand, and greenery along the off road sections, depending on what part of the racetrack you were on. The kart racers all wore red robes, blue shoes, and white masks that covered their faces, so you couldn't see what they looked like, without it.

"A racetrack which is supported by anti gravity technology? Pretty good tech. Also, what's the deal with those kart racers wearing the white mask? They shy or something?" Akihiko asked.

"Yes. The individuals wearing the white masks, are officially known as Shy Guys. As for the racetrack, it's one of many tracks used for the latest racing competition in Bowser Jr.'s world." Fuuka answered. "So how this arena works is, that two platforms powered by the anti gravity technology, move around the racing circuit and will stop at various places. Depending on where it stops, you might have to be wary of the racers along the road, so be careful,"

They all saw two red and white platform that had wheels with a cyan glow, built into them, move around. The top platform hovered above the middle wider platform below it, and they did exactly as Fuuka suggested, as the platforms would either land on the road, to the side of the roads, or even below a road which served as a ceiling. Gravity be damned, as the technology had allowed it to be trivialized from what they saw. All while the Shy Guy racers, were trying to race each other, as they drove over the circuit

"So we're fighting on two platforms that go around a racing circuit with anti gravity... while Shy Guys are racing?" Ken said, still taking the new information as he was amazed and bewildered. "Man The Master has interesting arenas to fight on. I hope none of the Shy Guy racers crash into Minato-sempai or myself,"

"Then let's get to training and studying Ken. We're not going to beat Palutena and Bowser Jr. by sitting around." Minato stated, causing Ken to nod. The meeting adjourned as Minato, Ken, and Fuuka began to prepare. For strategies against Palutena and Junior, for learning more about how Dragoon and Daybreak functioned, and for Minato and Ken to train with each other, to be ready to take on their upcoming opponents.

* * *

The day finally came, as Minato, Ken and Fuuka made their way to the teleportation room. The purple wearing chairman Fuchsia was there, as he smugly smiled. He had full confidence in Palutena and Bowser Jr. winning this fight. Palutena greeted them warmly, while Bowser Jr. sat in his Junior Clown Car, as he was itching to fight with it already, and he wore a confident smile. Minato, Ken, and Fuuka stared at the machine, as they were in actual close proximity to it finally. For now it wore a happy grin, but it would soon be glaring at Minato and Ken whenever it was used to attack.

"So the time has come at last huh? Let's see if Mr. Arisato and Mr. Amada can win this fight or be rendered losers," Fuchsia stated excitedly. Palutena glared at the purple wearing chairman, while Bowser Jr. jumped up and down happily in his vehicle, upon hearing that, before he calmly sat back down in it. Minato, Ken, Fuuka, Palutena, and Bowser Jr. each made their way to a teleportation pad in the room, and soon all five were taken to the racing circuit. Ken with his spear drawn out and Bowser Jr. piloting his Junior Clown Car, were on the lower wider platform on the opposite ends, while Minato and Palutena stood on the opposite side of the middle smaller platform, floating above the higher ones, as they also drawn out their weapons. All this occurred while the platform slowly moved across the racing circuit Fuuka was watching from afar from a revival platform, for the second to last of The Master's orders, as she summoned her Persona once more. She was ready to help out Minato and Ken against these strong opponents. Minato and Ken were on the left sides of their platforms respectively, while Palutena and Bowser Jr. were on the right.

"Hello to our special guests watching! Are you ready to see, which team of fighters, will be the victors? Will Palutena and Bowser Jr. be the ones taking first place or will Minato Arisato and Ken Amada be the ones to snatch that? A one stock match, with the only items being Dragoon and Daybreak appearing at a low rate. Are you ready? Three... two... one, **GO!**" the announcer announced.

_*** Cloudtop Cruise (Smash Bros) ***_

Palutena began to carefully approach Minato as she wielded her staff and shield, while Bowser Jr. immediately switched his Junior Clown Car's green propeller out for its orange wheels, as it charged towards Ken with a Clown Kart Dash. Ken immediately used his spear as a pole vault, as he leaped over Bowser Jr. who nearly rammed him with the Junior Clown Car, who had to quickly brake, to not fall off the arena and he turned around to face Ken, looking annoyed. Minato in the mean time was carefully guarding himself with his Smash shield, as Palutena began to use her Auto-Reticule maneuver. After her three light energy shots dented his shield for a bit, Minato immediately went towards her with her lance. Palutena seeing this, placed herself in a defensive stance, as she readied a Counter. However Minato just grabbed her by her waist, and tossed her towards the higher platform, as she landed on the middle of it, where Bowser Jr. and Ken were on. Bowser Jr. seeing her on the platform gave him an idea.

"Take one of my Mechakoopas, Ms. Palutena!" Bowser Jr. yelled out, as he hit the controls on his vehicle to deploy one of the deadly toys as it began walking over. As it neared her, she carefully picked it up by the windup key and quickly faced Ken, intending to throw the explosive toy before it blew up in her hands. Ken however held his Evoker and pointed it at his head, which caused both Palutena and Bowser Jr. to look extremely dumbfounded. Even the Junior Clown Car had a confused expression at what Ken was doing.

"**WHAT/HUH!?**" Palutena and Bowser Jr. both respectively exclaimed in extreme confusion as the sound of a gunshot came to life from Ken's Evoker.

"Kala Nemi! Ziodyne!" Ken yelled out, as he summoned his Persona. Soon a lightning bolt was fired towards her. She immediately threw the Mechakoopa she held in her hand towards the lightning blast, and it thankfully resulted in an explosion, stopping the blast of lightning. While Bowser Jr. was still dumbfounded by what he saw, Minato leaped behind him and his Junior Clown Car, as he was now on the smaller floating platform and used his spear's long reach, to bash Bowser Jr. right on his head.

"**OW!** You sneaky meanie!" Bowser Jr. cried out annoyed. Bowser Jr's biggest weakness according to Fuuka, was that while he took reduced damage if anything hit his Junior Clown Car, any direct hit to him, would cause far more damage in comparison. In other words, if he got hit from directly above, he take far more damage, compared to a hit to his Junior Clown Car.

Bowser Jr. quickly turned his vehicle around as he immediately had his vehicle go down to the lower platform to face Minato. Ken in the mean time was clashing with Palutena, as she blocked his swings and stabs with his spear, as he fought aggressively towards her. As he made another swings towards her, Palutena immediately made a Reflect Barrier, pushing the young boy back, and also causing him to hit the golden square barrier, and it made his whole body shake due to the force of his swing. Palutena quickly ran up to Ken, and gave him a shield bash to him, knocking him down towards the lower wider platform with a thud.

"Ken-kun are you alright!?" Fuuka asked, worried about the younger SEES member. The boy quickly picked himself up as he weakly nodded, and hoping Fuuka got a clear view. Palutena leaped down, as the two continued to clash with their weapons, as Palutena was now the one on the offensive. The two platforms then finally stopped as it planted itself to the right, of a road now serving as a wall sort of, as awkward as it sounded as the Shy Guy racers continued to drive around the racetrack. Bowser Jr. seeing this grinned, as he was dodging stabs from Minato's spear, as his vehicle moved around. He had another idea in mind.

"Take this!" Bowser Jr. yelled as he had enough dodging to deal with from the blue haired teen. He quickly had his vehicle have it's Clown Cannon appear from it's mouth, as Junior charged up a cannonball shot towards Minato. Minato seeing this quickly got ready for a pole vault himself, using his spear. The vehicle fired a cannonball from its Clown Cannon, and Minato managed to dodge the shot, however Bowser Jr. immediately propelled his vehicle into the air, and had a wrecking ball come out, and smacked Minato back onto the ground with it. Bowser Jr. quickly piloted his Junior Clown Car, close to Minato and had a green mechanical claw grab Minato, leaving Bowser Jr. to playfully hit his head with his toy hammer. He was planning on smacking Minato with his toy hammer till, he saw Shy Guy racers come back, and then have the other mechanical arm of the Junior Clown Car punch him with a boxing glove, to knock him into the racers for a lot of damage. Minato struggled to break free, but the metal green circular claw, had a tight grip on him, and it didn't help Bowser Jr. kept bashing his head with his toy hammer, as squeaky sounds kept being produced from the blunt hits.

"Ken. I think Junior is waiting for racers to show up, before he punches Minato forward into them," Fuuka stated worriedly. Ken nodded in response, but he was using his spear to defend himself, as Palutena kept twirling her staff towards him. He had to find a way to get at Junior quickly. He then came up with an idea, as he took out his Evoker and pointed at his head once more. Palutena flinched upon seeing the action and stopped attacking for a bit, to stare at Ken doing it again. It was so bizarre and frightening to her, she couldn't help but tense and stop moving , as Ken's motions replicated the actions of suicide, to force that creature out again. Soon Ken's Persona was summoned again as Palutena assumed the boy was about to do another one of those electric attacks it did before, as she mentally prepared herself to use another Reflect Barrier. However he said something that caught her off guard.

"Kala Nami. Restrain Palutena!" Ken shouted, as his Persona obeyed. This action caught the goddess off guard, as she didn't see this coming. She braced herself to fight back, but the large Persona grabbed her, and made sure to restrain her. Ken moved quickly as he knew he couldn't keep his Persona out for long, as he made his way towards Bowser Jr. He quickly took out his spear and smacked him on the top of his head, using his spear. This caused Bowser Jr. to release the controls, that allowed his vehicle to have it's grip on Minato. Both Minato and Ken regrouped to the higher platform. Bowser Jr. rubbed his head, and looked annoyed, as he saw the Shy Guy racers just pass by. Ken's Persona had disappeared, and Palutena regrouped to where Bowser Jr. was. The platforms became unattached as it soon began flying around the arena again.

"Aw phooey. I was going to knock him into the racers!" Bowser Jr. whined while Palutena tried to console the child. Palutena had to admit, these two were pretty strong and different from what she was expecting.

"You got to admit, they're pretty tough Junior," Palutena praised. Bowser Jr. shook his head for a no, as he disagreed. He grumbled in annoyance as he realized something.

"Where are the Dragoon or Daybreak parts Ms. Palutena? Not one piece for both of them, have shown up yet!" Bowser Jr. whined as Palutena shrugged. Suddenly one of the three parts for Daybreak finally dropped... on the smaller platform that floated in the middle, where Minato and Ken stood at. Minato immediately grabbed it, causing Bowser Jr. to get angry while Palutena just sighed. However one of the three parts for Dragoon dropped right near them calming the prince down, as Palutena grabbed it and immediately gave her part to Bowser Jr. to hold. Junior placed it under the seat of his Junior Clown Car for storage.

"Well it seems we both have one part of two different powerful items," Minato stated confidently. "Let's see how this proceeds,"

Minato took out his bow as he aimed at Palutena. Bowser Jr. immediately activated his vehicle's drills, as two mechanical drill arms emerged, as Minato fired an arrow at Palutena. The drills intercepted the arrow, and easily broke it into pieces. Minato quickly fired another arrow but this time at Junior. Bowser Jr. quickly activated a large metal fork to come out from his Junior Clown Car, and knocked the arrow out of the way. Palutena used a Warp to be standing directly under the middle floating platform. She then leaped on, as she was between Minato and Ken. She then beckoned for both of them to come at her.

"Don't! Remember Minato-kun and Ken-kun, that Palutena's fighting style is very defensive. You have to bait her into making herself vulnerable," Fuuka reminded them. Minato and Ken carefully approached her, while Minato was also careful to focus on Bowser Jr. who was below and behind him. Bowser Jr. seeing this, deployed another Mechakoopa and immediately had his vehicle's green claw, pick it up for him by the windup key, and quickly give it into his own hands.

"Ha!" Bowser Jr. taunted, as he propelled himself upwards with his Junior Clown Car and pitched the Mechakoopa towards Minato's direction. Minato seeing this quickly ducked, as it went towards Palutena. However she was prepared as she had a smirk on her face, and she summoned a Reflect Barrier. The explosive toy was reflected back at Minato, and he was too late to react in time, causing him to get charred and be knocked down to the lower platform, and laid upon the platform with a pained grunt.

"Minato/Minato sempai!" Both Fuuka and Ken cried out respectively, as they didn't see this coming. By this point, the platforms, attached themselves to a part of the racing circuit that made up the right wall. Bowser Jr. immediately switched out his vehicle's green propeller for it's orange wheels again, as he had his Junior Clown Car perform a Clown Kart Dash, towards Minato. Minato immediately rolled out to the side, causing Junior to miss, and crash into the circuit that made up the right wall. The bratty prince looked confused, as he had black swirls over his eyes, and looked dazed in general, from his vehicle colliding with the circuit serving as a wall, due to anti gravity shenanigans. Minato struggled to get back up and clean the black soot he had gotten from that explosion. Ken saw this as a chance to damage Bowser Jr. while he was dazed, however Palutena wasn't going to have that, as she did a Warp, and appeared right in front of Ken.

"Sorry. But while our partners recuperate, let's continue our fight," Palutena challenged. Ken grunted in frustration, but he knew Palutena would defend Bowser Jr. in the meantime. Ken took out his Evoker and prepared to summon her Persona once more, but Palutena immediately went towards Ken with another shield bash, knocking him down to the ground.

"Sorry. I can't stand to see you... do that summoning thing," Palutena said in both a serious, and concerned tone. "I'm definitely going to have to learn about you, and Minato more after this match,"

"He's not the only one who can do it," Minato shouted, as he leaped back onto their platform. He now had his own Evoker and pointed it at his head. Palutena was too much in shock, as the sound of another gunshot came about. Minato and Ken had to take advantage of their's opponent's shock and surprise to their Evokers, as much as they could, before they would become used to seeing them use it.

"Odin! Vile Assault!" Minato commanded, as he summoned a purple humanoid figure, that wore a white cape, white robe over his lower body, a golden helmet, and wielded a large spear. Odin, immediately charged for Palutena who was so caught off guard by what she saw Minato do, she was smacked hard, by the being's spear, and slammed into the circuit wall, and fell besides Bowser Jr. who was still dazed. She picked herself up, breathing heavily, as Minato's Persona disappeared.

"That power... " Palutena said very impressed, as it was unlike anything she had seen before. She then looked over to Bowser Jr. who was still in a daze. She calmly patted his head, and soon the young child was starting to blink his eyes, before looking peeved once more.

"OK Ms. Palutena. They're tough, but not tough enough to beat us!" Bowser Jr. exclaimed, causing Palutena to smile. "I'm going to show those two, not to mess with us!"

"That's the spirit Junior! The match is never over till it is," Palutena said happily. As she said that, another piece of Dragoon happened to spawn near them. Palutena immediately grabbed it as she gave it to Bowser Jr. to hold within his Junior Clown Car. The platform then detached itself from the racing circuit and went back to moving around the whole racetrack, and luckily for Junior while he was dazed, the racers were not yet at that section. "That makes two pieces of the Dragoon for us. If we get the last piece and assemble it, this match could be over for them or at least, significantly in our favor possibly,"

"We can't let them get the last piece of Dragoon or this could be really bad," Fuuka reminded both Minato and Ken. The Dragoon was known as one of two, Legendary Air Ride Machines, that came from Kirby's world. Such machines basically allowed the users to fly and ride them. How Dragoon worked as an item in this tournament was, if all three pieces of it were collected and assembled, it would allow whoever built it, to ride it and soar the skies, and then target an opponent to ram into a super fast flying speeds, usually knocking them out of the arena if it connected with an opponent. Daybreak was a powerful weapon that came from Pit, Dark Pit, and Palutena's world. It was said to be a weapon of great and terrible power, as it could fire a powerful laser that would send anyone caught in it, flying away. Like Dragoon, it also consisted of three parts, and needed to be assembled before used.

Bowser Jr. deployed another Mechakoopa, and Palutena immediately carefully grabbed it by the black windup key. She tossed it towards the middle floating platform where Minato and Ken were. They shielded, using their Smash shields, as the explosion dented their Smash shields, but didn't destroy them. Bowser Jr. immediately deployed another, for Palutena to pick up and throw. He was determined to damage them, or at least break their Smash shields for Palutena and himself to take advantage of. Another explosion occurred, and both Minato and Ken's Smash shields were about to break, and needed time to regenerate.

"We need to do something about those Mechakoopas, Minato sempai," Ken stated concerned. However they both just heard some advice from Fuuka, that they both agreed was worth trying out. By this point, the platforms they were on, stopped once more, as part of the racetrack now served as the ceiling of where they were fighting on. Palutena tossed another Mechakoopa towards them, but this time had a different result. Ken using his spear, swung it like a really long stick, managed to smack the Mechakoopa thrown towards him and Minato, towards Bowser Jr.'s direction. Bowser Jr. immediately hit the controls on his Junior Clown Car, to activate the buzz saw coming out of his Junior Clown Car's mouth, to hopefully shred the explosive toy, before it hit him. He did it just in time, and caused minimal damage to his vehicle, as the toy was sliced in half and didn't explode, as the prince sighed in relief. Both Minato and Ken leaped to the lower platforms and then faced their opponents on the other side of the platform they stood on. They stood on the left side, while Palutena and Bowser Jr. were on the right. Bowser Jr. began to have his machine, charge up it's Clown Cannon, as he intended to fire a cannonball at them, and hopefully hit one of them. Minato and Ken saw that the racers were now going through that part of the circuit nearby them, so going back onto the main middle platform was unwise.

"Trumpeter use Tetrakarn! Ken get down!" Minato ordered as he used his Evoker to summon the trumpet playing skeletal spirit. While Ken was confused, by why Minato said that, he immediately dropped to the ground and Minato himself did the same. Bowser Jr.'s vehicle, using it's Clown Cannon, fired another cannonball towards them, but had the shot reflect back due to the Trumpeter casting a Tetrakarn, that made a reflective barrier. However Palutena summoned yet another Reflect Barrier, and caused the cannonball, merely to be reflected back into the Trumpter, comically sending the Persona flying away, as it dissipated back into nothingness.

"I can see why now," Ken whispered to Minato. "Palutena is like the shield of their team, Minato sempai. We have to knock her or Bowser Jr. out of the arena as soon as possible,"

Bowser Jr. grunted in frustration, seeing how his cannonball failed, readied another Clown Kart Dash, as his vehicle's green propeller was swapped out for it's orange wheels once more. This time he had a different idea in mind. As he approached the two, who were about to pole vault, he immediately braked and had his vehicle's green claw come out and grab Ken. He immediately had the other mechanical arm of the Junior Clown Car, come out with a boxing glove, and the mechanical arm slammed a punch into Ken, who crashed into Minato, and into the platform ground.

"That's what you two get for being meanies to me!" Bowser Jr. shouted excitedly, as he was delighted to have landed that punch. The platforms finally began to move around again, as the racetrack was no longer a ceiling to the fighters. Minato and Ken immediately picked themselves up and decided to play whack a mole, as they both used their spears to try to bash Bowser Jr.'s head in. This caused the prince to retreat with his Junior Clown Car towards Palutena's location, all while another piece of Daybreak fell nearby Minato and Ken who immediately picked it up. Silence fell upon the arena, as the two teams eyed each other. They knew that both sides now had two respective parts of two separate powerful items, that could lead them to victory.

"I guess this match is about to wrap up soon," Palutena said with a smirk. The platform this time finally dropped them off, at what was the starting and finishing line of the racetrack, where the racetrack's banner that said the words "Mario Kart," was held by two metal poles off road to the sides. This time the platforms disappeared, dropping all four in front of the starting and finishing line of the race track. Minato and Ken towards the left, with their opponents on the right. "It's now or never. Let's see who gets more favored today by chance, shall we?"

All four heard the sounds of engines slowly approaching. Both immediately went off road as the racers slowly approached. Palutena had an idea, though she felt bad for whichever unlucky Shy Guy drivers were now going to have to do some major catching up to do. As some Shy Guy Drivers started approaching, she made angel wings appear before her, and using those managed to hit some who were driving nearby her, towards Minato and Ken's directions. Bowser Jr. also deployed a Mechakoopa to help take advantage of the moment, as he figured it possibly blow up one of the racers, towards them. The two Persona users, simply leaped over the Shy Guys in their karts that got hit, who were now busy trying to stop, and get back onto the road. Suddenly something occurred that caused them all to look concerned.

"The last piece of Dragoon!" all four fighters, along with Fuuka exclaimed, as the final piece of Dragoon, spawned in the middle of the road. Palutena immediately ran towards it, as she intended to grab it. Bowser Jr. picked up his pieces and was prepared to toss them over to Palutena when she grabbed the last piece.

"It might be time to take a risk!" Fuuka immediately warned, as both Minato and Ken were not going to allow Palutena to assemble Dragoon, as they took out their Evokers. Both were about to take a gamble with their next moves.

"Kali Nema! Restrain Palutena once more!" Ken ordered, as he summoned his Persona once more, while Minato was taking an extremely risky manuever since the move he was about to order had a decent chance of failing. Yet if it worked, they would have a significant advantage in this situation. Just as Palutena grabbed the final piece of Dragoon, and Bowser Jr. tossed his pieces hard, but only for them to bounce off Ken's Persona as it now restrained Palutena again, and the Dragoon pieces fell way off road.

"Trumpeter once more! I need you to perform a Mudoon on Palutena!" Minato commanded, as he summoned the trumpet playing skeletal figure once more. It started playing a tune where purple darkness energy quickly surrounded Palutena who panicked, as she struggled to get out of Ken's Persona's grasp. Bowser Jr. immediately began charging another cannonball shot, from his vehicle's Clown Cannon, and aimed it at Ken's Persona to knock it off. Ken saw and noted this, as the Mudoon was almost complete.

"Release Palutena and retreat now!" Ken ordered, as his Persona did exactly what he said. The Persona disappeared just as a cannonball was fired towards it, hitting nothing. Unfortunately for Palutena, it was too late for her to escape. As soon as she was released, she was blasted by powerful darkness energy, and was sent flying to the blue sky, yelling in a pained comical fashion before being a mere twinkle.

"Oh no!" Bowser Jr. yelled out in a panicked state, as he realized he was just now fighting both Minato and Ken by himself. "Grrr... I'll just have to put Dragoon together by myself!"

Bowser Jr. quickly moved his Junior Clown Car to the center of the the racetrack and quickly scooped up the piece of Dragoon that originally fell there, by using using his vehicle's green mechanical claw. He then turned his Junior Clown Car around, as he switched the green propeller for his orange wheels once more and dashed towards the off road where the remaining pieces of Dragoon fell, after they bounced off Ken's Persona. Minato and Ken suddenly heard something drop behind them, as they turned around to look. Needless to say, Minato was looking very confident right now, as well as Ken. However he whispered something to Ken, which caused the younger SEES member to nod in agreement.

"Right. I'll buy you time Minato sempai. Leave it to me!" Ken exclaimed, as he quickly ran after Bowser Jr., while Minato began putting the pieces of what he was going to use, to end this match. Bowser Jr. gritted his teeth as his vehicle slowed down on the rough grass, but was slowly approaching the last piece, as he had already recovered one of the two pieces that bounced off earlier. He then heard something that caught his attention.

"Heads up!" Ken yelled, as Bowser Jr. turned around to see Ken running after him. Ken immediately used his spear as a pole vault, and this time launched himself in a way, where he ended up stomping Junior's head with his feet, careful not to hit the two small horns on his head.

"**YEOW!**" Bowser Jr. cried out in pain, as it reminded him of whenever he got stomped by a certain plumber in the past, as Ken also crashed into the Junior Clown Car, and began to try pushing Bowser Jr. out of it. "No way you kid! This is my Junior Clown Car, not yours! Get your own!"

The two began to fight in the small crowded vehicle, as they pushed, shoved, and hit each other with their hands. While this happened, the Junior Clown Car spun around disorderly, as their fighting cause them to hit all sorts of controls, causing the vehicle to have swirly eyes upon it's clown like face. Eventually Bowser Jr. managed to shove Ken out of his vehicle, and regained control of his Junior Clown Car. Unfortunately for him, he just realized why Ken did that, as he heard Minato whistle.

"Hey Junior. I think it's about time we wrap this match up, don't you think?" Minato taunted as he held a fully completed Daybreak. Bowser Jr. immediately had sweat dripping down his face, while Ken ran back towards Minato, as they both held onto the golden looking weapon and pointed it towards Junior.

"Crud!" Bowser Jr. grumbled, as he immediately had his vehicle dash towards the last Dragoon piece desperately. Minato and Ken smirked as they activated Daybreak, and soon fired a massive laser, that hit Bowser Jr. and his Junior Clown Car. After the assault, Bowser Jr. in his Junior Clown Car, was seen with a comical teary eyed expression, as well as his sad clown faced vehicle, as he was sent flying out of the arena.

"**GAME!**" the announcer announced. Minato and Ken both sat down, taking deep breaths.

"Man that was a tough match," Ken muttered. "But I'm glad it's over."

"Awesome job Ken-kun! You did great as well Minato!" Fuuka praised happily. Minato and Ken happily smiled, from hearing Fuuka's kind words. This victory also meant, they now only had one more order ticket left to deal with.

"I wouldn't have been able to have beat them, without you two," Minato praised to his teammates. Ken sheepishly grinned, while Fuuka felt so happy to hear that from him.

"I still wonder why Bowser Jr. fights with that mech though," Ken questioned. "He didn't seem to mind using it. In fact, he really enjoys using that thing if this fight was anything to go by.

"Don't worry Ken. That's a question for the future we might find the answer for," Minato said calmly. "That and the others are going to be really happy about Wuhu Island as well,"

"Oh yeah. I was so focused on the match, I forgot about that." Ken replied. "They promised if this order was completed, we get to go that tropical island place right?"

"Yes. That is what the chairmen promised," Fuuka stated. She had to admit, the trip to Wuhu Island was something to definitely be happy and excited about, as all members of SEES got to have more fun, rest, and relaxation time together.

"Regardless, we should probably head back," Minato said. Ken and Fuuka agreed, and they were soon teleported back to the teleportation room. They still had some matters to settle, and to soon get ready for their vacation trip, to Wuhu Island later this month.

**To Be Continued...**

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**So how was it? As usual, notes to address things from the chapter. **

**1\. So I know I've depicted Pit and Palutena (more so Pit in general) as kind of comical characters (don't get me wrong, they are comical as all hell in Kid Icarus Uprising, and I definitely like writing that aspect of them in this story) but at the same time, wanted to show they can be really serious as well. Hence going in more depth with their history somewhat, to show that they can be serious when the situations calls for it. The three incidents reference the three Kid Icarus games. Kid Icarus, Kid Icarus of Myths and Monsters, and Kid Icarus Uprising.  
**

**2\. That video they watched is actually based off a animated short, that Nintendo released a few years back to promote Kid Icarus Uprising. It's called Medusa's Revenge and serves as a way, to catch players up on the general plot of the 1st game, before the release of Uprising**

**3\. The Koopalings are arguably no longer part of the Bowser Family as Shigeru Miyamoto (the creator of Mario, and other Nintendo series) has stated in an interview in 2012, that Bowser Jr. is Bowser's only son. However they were always depicted as part of the Bowser family, especially. I chose to keep them as part of their family, though as it was what I always will view them as, though I understand where Mr. Miyamoto is coming from, as he has his own points of view on the series.**

**4\. Dragoon is an item that first appeared in Kirby Air Ride, and Daybreak was an item from Kid Icarus Uprising. Both games were also made by the creator of the Smash Bros series as well.  
**

**5\. Cloudtop Cruise is a stage in Mario Kart 8, that has it's theme remixed slightly in Super Smash Bros for Wii U. In Mario Kart 8, Cloudtop Cruise has two different themes depending on where you are on the race course. If you're outside the storm, the music is orchestral, while inside the stormy part of the racetrack, it's a rock theme. The Smash Bros version of the music, combines both versions into one.**

**6\. Mario Circuit is only a stage in the Wii U version. Though it's a little annoying how we now have two Mario Circuit stages in Smash Bros, since the Mario Circuit stage from Brawl is back. (Seriously... no Electrodrome Sakurai?). **

**7\. Mudoon is an instant kill move in the Persona series that utilizes the dark element. Smash being family friendly, I had the move be more of an instant knock out in this case. I doubt any Hama related skills would have worked on Palutena, considering her affinity for the light as well. **

**8\. I have decided to be selective with how I handle incorporating DLC content in this story. Mewtwo and Lucas having more of a proper mention, as in the header is an example. Keep in mind, that doesn't necessarily guarantee all DLC content will be mentioned at the times of writing. Plus they can always add additional DLC by whenever I finish this story, so a lot of factors to take account for. We'll just have to wait and see.**

**Well that's about it. If you have anything to comment about, don't be afraid to do so. Otherwise I hoped you enjoyed this chapter, and till next chapter!**


	17. Getting Smash Security Involved

**Chapter 17 is finally here. Not much to mention in the header this time. If you got anything to comment, point out, say, etc, don't be afraid to do so as usual. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

Everyone was back in the teleportation room. Palutena was sitting on the ground, with her green hair frazzled, but she wore a smile, as she still had a fun time in that match. The same could not be said of Junior, as he was hopping up and down angrily, as he threw a temper tantrum, as smoke comically came out of his head, while he hopped. His Junior Clown Car looked a bit charred, and still had a teary eyed expression on it's clown face.

"Well wasn't that an enjoyable match, Junior?" Palutena asked with a smile, both curious and concerned.

"No! I bet those meanies cheated to beat us!" Bowser Jr. whined. "Isn't that right mister purple? They must have cheated to beat me and Ms. Palutena!"

Fuchsia had a frustrated expression upon his face, as he had to now stamp the seventh of The Master's orders, to show that Minato completed it, and just for being called mister purple at the moment. He reluctantly swayed his head, to signal for a no, while Minato, Ken, and Fuuka just smiled.

"Not at all. Mr. Arisato and Mr. Amada won their match, and have not violated any rules while doing so," Fuchsia stated with gritted teeth. "So no, they did not cheat,"

"Oh yeah? What about Ms. Yamagishi watching from afar? You sure she did nothing to help them out?" Bowser Jr. questioned. Fuuka was unsure how to feel as she just heard that question from Junior, as Fuchsia thought for a moment before responding.

"No. She was only there to cheer and give advice to Mr. Arisato and Mr. Amada. That is not breaking any rules we have established." Fuchsia explained. Bowser Jr. just chose to keep throwing a temper tantrum in response, while Palutena just sighed.

"Well in that case, I'll have papa cheer me on, in all my future matches!" Bowser Jr. whined. "I bet I would have beat either of them one on one, if it was only me fighting!"

"Oh well. It happens Junior. We all win some, and lose some," Palutena stated calmly, as she walked over to shake hands with Minato, Fuuka, and Ken. "It was nice meeting you three. We should hang out in the future and have dinner later. For now, I'm going to head back to my room and freshen up. Play nice Junior,"

Palutena left the room, while Bowser Jr. crossed his arms as Minato, Fuuka, and Ken approached him and lowered their hands, so the small child can shake with them. Bowser Jr. refused to do so.

"Nope. Not shaking my hands with you guys," Bowser Jr. defiantly stated, as he looked away from them. Minato and Ken sighed in annoyance, while Fuuka decided to try a more persuasive approach. She took out from her pocket what appeared to be one of Doc Louis's chocolate bars, that he loved to share with them, catching Bowser Jr.'s attention. "Whoa. That's one of the chocolate bars that Little Mac eats,"

"Yes it is. Would you like it? I normally enjoy it for myself, but I already ate, so I don't need it today," Fuuka offered warmly. Bowser Jr. happily nodded, as he gently took it from her, unwrapped it, and happily began biting down onto it, and soon had a grin on his face.

"Thank you!" Bowser Jr. said with a mouth full of chocolate. He happily took more bites, before he stopped to swallow and take a breath. "Alright. Maybe a hand shake. But don't act like we're all pals! You guys should be glad, my dad wasn't around to see this match, or he be really mad!"

He shook hands with Fuuka who smiled at the child's willingness to try to be a bit nicer, and reluctantly shook hands with Minato and Ken. He looked at his beat up Junior Clown Car with a frown and hopped back in it, as he decided it was time to get out of this room and start getting his Junior Clown Car fixed up, as he finished the rest of his chocolate bar off. He was leaving before he stopped his machine and decided to say one thing.

"You guys are lucky Ms. Yamagishi had chocolate for me, or Mr. Arisato and... that kid get in a lot of trouble... because I thought about telling my dad on you guys, for being meanies to me, but I guess I don't feel like doing it anymore. I'll beat you two one day!" Bowser Jr. proclaimed, before he promptly left with his Junior Clown Car and soon the three SEES members, along with Fuchsia were the only ones left in the room. Minato, Ken, and Fuuka just sighed, but were glad that Bowser Jr. calmed down a bit, and he wasn't going to tell Bowser about them. Fuchsia cleared his throat to get their attention.

"Well I suppose I have to acknowledge your victory." Fuchsia stated reluctantly as he took out his black ink stamp. Minato took out his purple order ticket, and it was soon marked with the black Smash Bros symbol on it. "Good job peasant. May you hopefully come to your senses and become more then that, or get defeated by your next opponent,"

"Enough with the elitist remarks," Minato replied annoyed. "Also, we get the trip to Wuhu Island as your cyan wearing brother said, isn't that right?"

"Unfortunately... yes. On August 15th, we'll have a boat ready in the Manhattan Cruise Terminal ready to take all of you SEES members towards Wuhu Island. If you have any further questions regarding the trip, you know where to find me or any of my brothers. Now if you'll excuse me, I have matters to attend to." Fuchsia explained with disgust, as he really hoped Palutena and Bowser Jr., would have won this battle still. He left, leaving Minato, Fuuka, and Ken in the room by themselves.

"That's order number seven completed," Minato said calmly, as he looked at his purple ticket, now stamped with the Smash Bros symbol on it, with black ink.

"Only one more is left before... you get to confront The Master, right?" Fuuka asked with both awe and concern. Minato nodded, and for some reason, tension filled the room. Confronting The Master... confronting the one who was behind this tournament, and was responsible for what they were going through right now. It was somewhat unnerving. Minato wore a confident smirk, but Fuuka couldn't help wonder about it, and worry. Ken looked concerned for them both as he tried to cut the tension.

"Minato-san... Fuuka-san," Ken said quietly, as the younger member of SEES was concerned for them. "We should probably head back and see the others,"

"Ken's right. We'll have time to discuss and think about that later. The others are probably ready to congratulate us back in our conference room," Minato said, as he gently held Fuuka's hand, as the three decided to leave the room.

* * *

Fuchsia was now back in his conference room, and saw the rest of his brothers all sitting in their respective color coded seats. He took a seat in his purple seat, and silence befell the room. The eight chairmen that ran Smash Corp, decided to hold this meeting should Minato manage to complete his seventh order from The Master, and discuss some matters in general.

"So let's begin," Crimson the red chairman stated. "As we all know, Mr. Arisato has now completed his seventh order from The Master. He only has one order left and that order will not be given to him, until September 1st this year,"

"Yes," Ash the gray chairman stated. "That is correct. I hold his final order ticket from The Master,"

"Well I'll say one thing, I definitely got a fun kick watching him win all those matches, even if I rather he lose already," Sunset the orange chairman stated with a big grin. "It's a shame he might possibly not be in our tournament after all,"

"Give me a break you citrus color wearing brother of mine," Jade the green chairman said annoyed. "Do you think The Master would really give in to that boy's demands? May I remind you, that The Master said he would allow Mr. Arisato the option to finally discuss the matter with him, not that he would necessarily accept Mr. Arisato's right to choose for himself, to be in this competition or not?"

"Jade's right," Sky the cyan chairman, said with a yawn. "I mean...The Master wouldn't just roll over for him for his demands... well maybe if he already joined, and was an official fighter since he's so benevolent otherwise. No, he probably set himself for one final fight, with himself facing off against him,"

"You mean... with himself and his brother," Golden the yellow chairman said, as he reminded them of The Master's more illogical and destructive brother. "He's probably not going to fight Mr. Arisato without his brother. You know...Crazy-"

"We all know who you speak of," Azure the blue chairman, stated calmly, as he cut off his more positive yellow wearing brother, before he finished saying the full name of The Master's brother. "Regardless we should all wait and see how things develop. I have other things I want to address while we are all here, besides this issue. First off being the return of two of our former fighters in the future,"

"You mean... Mewtwo and Lucas?" Fuchsia stated. "I suppose many of our veteran fighters will be very pleased to hear about their return."

"Yes. But we're still waiting word from The Master before we'll know, when they're coming back exactly. Supposedly sometime later this year. He is also looking to bring more fighters, whether they be ones he personally dropped from the previous tournaments or more newcomers as well for the latest tournament." Crimson replied

"I wonder who our next newcomer will be? Granted it be Mr. Arisato had he already signed his contract but... yeah," Golden awkwardly stated.

"Why did you, along with Sunset and Sky agree to allow the Wuhu Island trip for them? It was unnecessary you know?" Jade said with gritted teeth.

"Hey! Everyone needs some fun in the sun," Sunset stated. "Besides maybe if we treat them better, Mr. Arisato be more likely to join? Reverse psychology and all that jazz you know?"

"I don't think you said that right... maybe?" Sky said with a tired stretch, as he didn't particularly care if his brother was right or wrong, in that regard. "Regardless, starting the week they have their trip, we're having our yearly maintenance for all the arenas anyway. Cleaning them, inspecting them, maintaining them, and all that jazz. We're giving all the fighters off time anyways, so it doesn't matter if Mr. Arisato and his buddies get some R&amp;R time anyway, during that period of time."

They all sighed, as that was a good point, brought up by their laid back brother.

"Well regardless of that, let's say he does or doesn't get in. We still have to also discuss the matter of The Master's desire for a new Assist Trophy from his world. That possible new Assist Trophy being Ms. Yamagishi-" but before Fuchsia could continue, they all heard a knock on the doors that would lead into their rooms.

"Sirs, we are here for our daily report," said a male voice from outside. The chairmen all nodded as they recognized the voice.

"You may enter," Azure said calmly. Three individuals entered the room, and bowed towards the eight chairmen, and then saluted.

"Brawler reporting in, sirs!" said a young man. He wore a red shirt, had yellow fighting gloves on, red boots, black pants with a brown belt and a golden belt buckle that said "Mii," on it. He had black hair, black eyes, and a fairly stoic expression.

"Sword-Fighter reporting in, sirs!" said another young man. He wore a blue shirt, and a brown strap over his left shoulder that connected to his pants and had a scabbard with a sword in it. He wore brown gloves with steel metal on them, brown boots, and the same kind of pants that Brawler wore, as well as the same kind of brown belt and golden belt buckle that said "Mii," on it as well. He had dirty blonde hair, blue eyes, and also wore a stoic expression.

"Gunner reporting in, sirs!" said a female young adult. She wore a long orange shirt, a black skirt and leggings, and black boots that had neon blue lighting on the soles and rip of the boots, barring the white metal heels. Her left hand wore a gray glove with a neon blue metal wristband, and on her right she wore some sort of metal arm cannon like armament over her right arm, that was connected to a metal backpack she wore, that also shined with light blue. She finally wore her brown belt buckle and golden belt buckle that said "Mii," over her orange shirt on her torso area. She had brown hair, black eyes, and finally a stoic expression for her as well.

"Ah. Always a pleasure to see the Mii Fighters," Crimson said. Prior to the current tournament, Smash Corp bought out a security company known as Martial Impact Industries. More famously known as Mii, to many in this world. The company was known for providing security for whoever requested it, though now it was exclusively owned by Smash Corp, though they did lend out security employees, if requested by other companies or parties, for payments. The three that stood before the chairmen, were considered the most elite fighters of Martial Impact Industries, as they each specialized in their own fighting styles, and trained many other security employees below them. They were also known as the Mii Fighters, with each of them taking pride in their titles of Brawler, Sword-Fighter, and Gunner respectively. If they had real names, they never chose to go by them or disclosed them. They also put up a very strong fight against any of the fighters who have ever dared to challenge them. Finally they also served as the three elite bodyguards for the eight chairmen as well, and would take on any orders from them, without any hesitation. "How goes you three?"

"Today we have had no incidents regarding security," Brawler replied.

"Training the security force with no issues today," Sword-Fighter added.

"We have accepted new candidates for job training for security as well," Gunner said.

"Excellent. Keep up the good work as always," Jade said proudly. "You three are probably the envy of every security employee below you."

The three nodded and were dismissed by the chairmen, As they slowly walked out, Azure suddenly came up with an idea involving the Mii Fighters. He quickly halted the three Mii Fighters before they could exit the room, and whispered his idea to his brothers. They all agreed on the idea, as Crimson called out to the three.

"Wait a minute. For our three Mii Fighters... before you all leave, we have a new assignment we're putting you three, temporarily on. We need you three to-"

* * *

It was now night as Minato, Fuuka, and Palutena were together. They explained to Palutena, that Ken had decided to decline dinner, as he decided to take Koromaru for a walk at the floor with the indoor park instead. She had no problems with that as she praised the boy and his fighting he demonstrated earlier that day. The three were then talking and discussing many matters with her. They explained more about themselves, what they did, and who they are from their world. Palutena was pretty amazed by what they managed to accomplished. They were selective regarding some details (namely stuff like Minato dying, and other really personal moments), but for the most part she learned of their adventure and what generally occurred. It was now Palutena's turn, as the friendly goddess opted to telling them stories of moments she had with Pit in her world, to make the mood lighter in comparison.

"So that's why, Pit hates eggplants?" Fuuka said in a curious tone, as she had a mental image of Pit transformed into a big eggplant, with a pair of his legs sticking out of it, desperately trying to find a hospital in a dungeon, as absurd as it sounded.

"Yep! Moral of the story is, don't mess with Eggplant Wizards," Palutena said with a mischievous smile. "But enough about embarrassing moments from the past, I'm really curious about you two. Minato is being tested to become a fighter in Smash Bros right?"

"Oh well...you see that's... a bit complicated to explain," Fuuka said with a concerned look on her face. This was something that no one else but SEES, the chairmen, and The Master still knew, from what they were aware of. This was something they would also have to address. If Minato were to win the right to not officially join, and not be forced in this competition, how would everyone else they've made friends with react? That was something they would have to bring up with the other SEES members later.

"My circumstances are a bit different from the others. I don't feel like going into detail at the moment. Sorry," Minato calmly explained. He knew Fuuka was probably thinking about how they handle telling such information for the future, to those in the dark about their situation.

"Is that so?" Palutena asked with both friendly curiosity and a tiny bit of skepticism of what she heard. She sighed, as she wasn't fully satisfied by what she heard, but she decided to respect Minato's decision to not elaborate more. "Well that's fine. If you two ever want to talk about it, don't be afraid to do so. I'm a very open minded individual, so I'm pretty sure I can handle whatever you have to say. I did just handle you two being part of a group that took down something that wanted to essentially fill your world with death,"

"Understood. Anyway, I'm going to get up to use the restroom. I'll be back," Minato replied as he got up from his seat, and left. Soon Palutena and Fuuka were left alone. Palutena thought it was a good opportunity to ask some questions.

"So Fuuka... I heard Pit used a special arrow on Minato during Valentines Day, earlier this year. Is that true?" Palutena teased, as Fuuka's face blushed intensely from hearing that. The shy teal blue haired girl nodded in response. "Well Pit asked me to whip something up like that for him for Valentines Day. So if anything happened that night, you now have me to blame,"

"No it's fine. I... got to spend some very personal moments with Minato that night," Fuuka explained as she was still blushing, but a part of her was happy that Valentines Day turned out that way, despite the awkwardness she felt at the moment. "Any time spent with Minato is time worth spending in my opinion,"

"You really care for him," Palutena said gently as Fuuka nodded. "I haven't seen love this pure, since Viridi's crush for Pit. You two are so sweet together, it's making me want to watch my blood sugar levels, and I mean that in a good way."

"Thank you," Fuuka said kindly back and a bit embarrassed. "You're a really nice person Ms. Palutena,"

"You're welcome. Also, like I said in the past, no need to be so formal. Just Palutena is fine," Palutena warmly replied. Minato came back refreshed, as he sat down next to Fuuka. The three continued to converse and ate their dinner, till they parted ways, as Minato and Fuuka decided to head to his room just to talk quietly and relax. Elsewhere we see Ken as he held a Smash Bros branded black leash, and he quietly walked Koromaru around. The indoor park was a lot quieter at night, with less people around. He was quietly walking Koromaru till he spotted someone that caught his attention.

"That's Junior over there and he's coloring something?" Ken said quietly to himself, as he saw Bowser Jr. sitting on a park bench with a white sketchbook as he held a blue crayon, and had a box of crayons beside him. He didn't have his Junior Clown Car with him, to Ken's relief, as he knew the bratty prince wasn't exactly fond of him still. Koromaru began to bark at Junior happily, as the Shiba Inu recalled Bowser Jr. petting him gently, as Ken tried to quiet hm down. Bowser Jr. looked away from his white sketchbook, and saw Ken, and then he rolled his black beady eyes, as Ken was the last person he expected to see here.

"What do you want kid? Scram!" Bowser Jr. said irritably. "This is my me time! Me time being all about me! Got it?"

"Okay I'll leave. Geez... you don't got to be so mean you know?" Ken said, as he tried to walk Koromaru away. But the Shiba Inu just wanted to be close to Bowser Jr. as the dog continued to drag Ken towards the bratty prince. Bowser Jr. just sighed as he stopped using his crayons and began petting Koromaru, who appreciated it, as he could see that Koromaru wanted to be petted by him.

"Yeah well you don't got to be so lame... kid," Bowser Jr. said, as Ken rolled his eyes from what he heard. "Look whatever. Can you please go? I'm busy trying to color something,"

"Can I take a look?" Ken asked. Bowser Jr. shook his head for a no, but Koromaru disagreed, as he manage to snatch the sketchbook with his mouth, from Bowser Jr.'s hands, and quickly gave it to Ken, while Bowser Jr. could only stare in shock, as that just happened to him. Ken quickly overlooked the crayon drawings before Bowser Jr. ran up to him, and grabbed it back from Ken's hands, before going back to sitting on the bench looking disgruntled. "Those were drawings of the teal and blue flowers planted around here,"

"Yeah well they were really pretty and I felt like making crayon drawings of them. Is that a crime?" Bowser Jr. asked with annoyance. "They got planted after papa kind of... help make the place messy a while back, and they were something new for me to draw. I bet you think my drawings looked really lame,"

"Actually I think they look really nice." Ken praised, and this surprised Bowser Jr. as he wasn't expecting to hear that. From what Ken saw, he was actually being very careful with his crayons, and wasn't just doodling with them, as he drew some decent looking blue and teal colored flowers. "You should show your dad. He probably like it. Anyway we're off. Have a good night Junior!"

Ken and Koromaru began to walk away, while Bowser Jr. thought about what Ken said. He then shouted to Ken the following, as he still wanted to keep a tough image around.

"Yeah well you better not tell anyone I drew flowers alright!? Plus I'm never telling you why I fight with my Junior Clown Car here! You hear me?" Bowser Jr. yelled out, while Ken just smirked as he walked Koromaru away. "Geez... I hate that kid,"

* * *

Minato was staring at the seven order tickets he had completed so far, that hanged inside a glass case on a wall, while wearing his blue pajamas he changed into. A while back, he and the other members of SEES decided to get a small glass display case, that he hung on the wall of his room above the desk, that resembled the one where he would sometimes study late at night, all those years ago. He was by himself as Fuuka had eventually left to go back to her room, while he quietly stared at the seven order tickets. Minato sighed, as he felt tension growing within him.

"Only one order ticket left to go," Minato whispered quietly to himself. He recalled how he was promised that he would be given the chance to speak with The Master, to go over the issue about having to the right to choose for himself. How well was that really going to go, in all honesty? The Master went through all this trouble to get him in this competition. Surely The Master was going to do everything possible to try to get him to join. He sighed and decided to go to bed and was about to sleep on it, but before doing so, he heard someone knock on his door.

"Come in." Minato said quietly. Soon Fuuka entered in, as she wore teal blue colored pajamas, and she wore teal blue bunny slippers as well.

"Hi Minato. Sorry if I'm bothering you," Fuuka said quietly, while Minato shook his head for a no. He smiled, as he was always glad to be with the gentle girl. He motioned for Fuuka to sit near him and she did.

"What's wrong? Can't stop thinking about the last order ticket right?" Minato asked. Fuuka shook her head for a yes. "I can't blame you. It's been kind of been on my mind at the moment as well,"

"It's just... with the order tickets, we have some idea of what to expect. After that... you confront The Master," Fuuka said in a concerned tone. "Sorry. I'm just really worried about you,"

"Fuuka I'll be fine," Minato said. "Think of our last order, like our last full moon operation when we were still fighting back in 2009. We weren't fully prepared for what happened afterward but... we pulled through,"

"I know but... you're right. Sorry," Fuuka said shyly. She sighed but then felt Minato give her a warm embrace, which she kindly returned. "It's just anything can really happen by that point,"

"I know... we'll have to just face it head on," Minato reassured her, with his confidence. Fuuka then soon left the room, but not before the two gave each other a gentle peck on each others lips, as Fuuka turned off lights for his room and Minato finally went to bed for the night. Meanwhile somewhere else, Pit was wearing white pajamas, a white sleeping cap, and white bunny slippers, as he made his way to the cafeteria. It was now a bit late at night as he entered, and saw that the windows in the cafeteria showed the night sky that was adorned with stars. He yawned as he stretched his arms, as he felt sleepy, yet his stomach yearned for food, which prevented him from sleeping.

"Man. Good thing the chairmen hire chefs for late night service for the employees who choose to work late," Pit mumbled as he stretched. "I could really use grilled cheese for a midnight-"

But before Pit managed to even utter the the word snack, he got pushed down comically, as a bigger individual shoved him down and walked past him. Pit got back up annoyed, as he saw who it was.

"Hey Triple-D! Totally unnecessary you know?" Pit whined, as he called out the bigger individual. Triple-D referring to someone who was really known as King Dedede, an overweight blue penguin who was very gluttonous, as he loved to stuff his big yellow beak with food. Dedede was also a fighter who joined during the Brawl Tournament, and he was a tough heavyweight that loved to bash his foes with his personal hammer. He was the self-proclaimed king of Dream Land, and came from Kirby's world. He had both clashed and worked with Kirby in the past, so the two shared a big history with each other. At the moment he was wearing a salmon pink colored sleeping cap, and wore salmon pink sleeping robe pajamas, and had his trademark peace sign symbol on the back of them. Normally he wore more red formal attire during the day. He also wore salmon pink bunny slippers, for his big yellow flipper feet, and wore big yellow gloves for his big blue flipper hands.

"Dehehehe. Well if it isn't Chicken Pit?" Dedede boisterously laughed, as he used his nickname for Pit, he's been using for the angel since they met during the Brawl Tournament. "Sorry about that little chicken. I always go for a midnight snack, so I kind of don't like others in my way,"

"Well you could have asked me to move, you know?" Pit said a bit exasperated, but ended up sighing with a smile. Dedede and Pit, somewhat got along ever since they met in the Brawl Tournament. Granted Dedede was prone to being pretty hostile at times, but never to the extent that certain other fighters like Bowser has shown. He was more laid back compared to Bowser at the very least. "Anyway, do you want to eat together? I was hoping to go get myself a grilled cheese. Actually now that I think about it, don't you usually get your cute little Waddle Dees to get you food?"

"Sure Chicken Pit. I could use the company." Dedede replied. "As for my Waddle Dee minions, I was originally thinking of sending my minions to get me some grub, but they were all asleep so I didn't want to bother them,"

"Heh. So you're not that lazy after all Triple-D," Pit remarked, while Dedede just rolled his eyes in response. Soon they both ordered, and soon after both Pit and Dedede soon found themselves sitting aside from each other, as Pit had a plate of grilled cheese and milk in a glass cup, while King Dedede opted for a triple bacon cheeseburger, with chilli cheese fries on the side, and a root beer.

"You're lucky Ms. Fit isn't here right now, or she be lecturing you, on your choice of... calorie consumption," Pit said with a mouthful of grilled cheese in his mouth, he then swallowed down and followed up by wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"Yeah well Ms. Fit can eat a big fat greasy calorie filled sausage," Dedede replied annoyed, as he took a bite from his triple bacon cheeseburger. "I don't need some health nut, dictating my lifestyle. I eat as I please! Emperor penguins are naturally big you know?"

"I highly doubt that excuse would fly, if she were around," Pit remarked as he drank some of his milk. "Granted I don't think you ever got along with Ms. Fit, when she joined during the beginning of the current tournament,"

"Nope. During the Brawl Tournament, no one hassled me when I ate my delicious fried or greasy food. Now with her around, I got to deal with her annoying nutrition lectures if she sees me eating something even remotely delicious! Anyway, what's new with you? How's your evil twin who joined this tournament? I don't talk to him that much. Doesn't seem very fond of me," Dedede replied.

"Nothing much. I've just been having my matches lately. As for Pittoo, he's doing alright. He's still trying to get with Lucina, and she still doesn't seem to still be aware of that, from my point of view. Don't worry about him not being cool with you, he might open up more later on... maybe. How about you? Hammer up any opponents lately?" Pit answered back.

"Well Falco and myself yesterday, managed to set a new team record, beating up them rookie Mii mooks them three elite Mii Fighters train, during some Multi-Man-Smash stuff. That bird brain and myself can really knock them mooks out." Dedede replied. "Granted I know if Bowser was my partner, we be knocking out them Mii mooks so much faster. I wish he would have more free time to hang out with me though,"

"Oh yeah. I remember during the Brawl Tournament, you two got along really well and hung out a lot more. You don't hang out as much now with him. What's up with that?" Pit said.

"It's cause that brat... err... kid of his, joined the new tournament," Dedede said. "He's too busy being a daddy for his kid, when before he was only a daddy whenever he was back in his own home,"

"Well Junior is one of his kids. It's totally understandable in my opinion. Also don't let Bowser catch you saying Junior's a brat, otherwise he'll show you his fists or make you into fried penguin," Pit answered back.

"Whatever. I can show that overgrown turtle the exit to any arena, with my hammer," Dedede said, though in reality, he was aware that Bowser could probably pulverize him a lot easier now, due to getting a huge fitness regimen into his life, prior to the fourth tournament, and has stepped up his fighting game up significantly. "Speaking of new stuff, did you hear the rumor about this weird new potential newcomer?"

"Rumor about a weird new potential newcomer?" Pit asked with curiosity. "What exactly are you talking about?"

"The rumor's about some pretty boy teenager, shooting himself in the head, to summon something, as a new potential newcomer. That's the new rumor. You didn't hear anything about that?" Dedede asked, as he stuffed himself with chilli cheese fries. Pit instantly knew he was referring to Minato and his use of his Evoker. He also wasn't sure if telling Dedede about Minato was the wisest thing, considering Dedede was so volatile when it came to meeting new people. He could either be really friendly or really hostile with them, as he was with Kirby at times. Pit decided to pretend to not know of what Dedede was talking about, as he responded to the penguin.

"Nope. Did not hear a thing about it. Why do you ask?" Pit answered back.

"No reason. Assuming this is the real deal. Some teenager who summons stuff by shooting himself in the head? Sounds like crazy talk. No way a fighter like that is joining... right?" Dedede replied back unsure. "But whatever. If this guy turns out to be the real deal, I'll just knock him out of any arena personally with my hammer,"

"Big confidence from the big penguin huh?" Pit said with a smirk.

"You know it." King Dedede answered with a cheeky grin, as he took a drink from his root beer, before continuing on. "If I ever get into a match with that teenager, assuming if he turns out to be real and not a rumor, it's hammering time for him. Dehehehe!"

Pit couldn't help but think that Dedede was in for a rude awakening, if he were to ever face off against Minato. He was a really strong and versatile fighter, in his opinion, and would probably give Dedede a tough time. Then again, Pit had to admit Dedede was ridiculously good at swinging that large hammer of his, so Minato would probably have a tough time fighting against him as well. Suddenly he was snapped back into reality as he heard the penguin, say something that caught his attention.

"Hey Chicken Pit. Guess what I got recently?" Dedede asked with a big grin as he took something out from one of his pockets on his sleeping robe. He then showed Pit what appeared to be a toy like figurine that depicted the king himself, in his more normal attire, wielding his hammer. Pit stared back in awe, as he realized what he held.

"That's an Amiibo!" Pit exclaimed in surprise, before Dedede motioned to him to be quiet with a panicked look. A product that Smash Corp was planning to launch in the future, to sell more products was Amiibos. They were going to be plastic figurines depicting the fighters, to sell to anyone interested in purchasing them. "How did you even get one, and of yourself? They aren't even suppose to be out yet!"

"My Waddle Dee minions can be very sneaky," Dedede whispered with a chuckle. "I got them to sneak around the factory area where all the Amiibos are being made and guarded. I can't wait for the world to buy the glory that is me, King Dedede!"

"Get real. I'm sure more people will buy more Amiibos of me!" Pit boasted and whispered in a friendly way, while Dedede just laughed upon hearing that. "You better not let the chairmen catch you with that, or you'll be in trouble,"

"Yeah well I don't plan on getting caught." Dedede said as he quickly placed the Amiibo that depicted himself back into his sleeping robe's pocket. Only Pit and Dedede were in the cafeteria eating at this late hour at the moment, and the chefs were preoccupied in the kitchen to notice them. "You better not tell anyone Chicken Pit."

"Relax Triple-D. I know, I know. Plus I don't want to get hammered by you," Pit replied with a bit of confidence and nervousness. Pit knew that Dedede was probably the strongest hammer fighter he ever met, and did not want to ever get bashed by the penguin outside of matches or in general. "Anyway we should finish up our midnight snacks and head back to bed,"

"Agreed on that Chicken Pit. Our grub isn't going to finish eating itself," Dedede replied happily, as they both finished their midnight snacks, parted ways, and headed back to their rooms. As Pit left, he couldn't help but wonder about Minato and wonder who was going to be his last opponent or opponents, for his last order. If he had only known it was most likely someone who fought with a bludgeon weapon...

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**So what did you guys think? Notes as always.  
**

**1\. So the identity of the three bodyguards, of the chairmen, ******first hinted at in Chapter 9** are now revealed to be the Mii Fighters. The ones in this story are based off the ones seen in the official artwork for the three Mii Fighter classes. Also since they have no canon names (they are the custom characters of Smash Bros after all), they'll be going by their titles for their classes respectively. I wonder what role they'll play in the future. Hmmm...**

**2\. Mii is technically suppose to stand for "me" as Nintendo intends it, but I figure that wouldn't make much sense in this context. So I made up "Martial Impact Industries," for something for Mii to stand for in this story. **

**3\. So I think it's pretty safe to say who will be the opponent of the eighth order, for Minato to face off against. That won't be happening for a bit, but it's definitely going to happen.**

**4\. Amiibos are figurines that are based off characters. They serve as both a toy/collectible and have in game functions with certain games depending on the Amiibo figures and games. In this story, they merely serve as popular figurines that have yet to be sold yet.**

**5\. Bowser Jr.'s reason for fighting with his Junior Clown Car will eventually be elaborated on. He's still not on the best terms with the members of SEES, and it's a relationship that can definitely see improvement.  
**

**6\. Multi-Man Smash refers to a mode where you can select a character to fight against multiple Mii opponents whose difficulty differs depending on the conditions the players select. Introduced in Melee as Multi-Man Melee, you fought the Fighting Wire Frames, and continued in Brawl as Multi-Man Brawl where you fought the Fighting Alloys. Smash 3DS/Wii U also has this mode. Multi-Man Smash (as it's called in the latest game) has you fighting the Fighting Mii Team (which in the context of this story, serve as the ones being trained by the three elite Mii Fighters).**

**7\. Chicken Pit was a nickname I came up with, since in Kid Icarus Uprising, many characters refer to Pit in some way, as a chicken for some reason. Figure I work that in somehow. After all, if Pit's going to call King Dedede Triple-D, fair for the king to call him back something in return. **

**That about covers it for now. Next chapter our characters depart for Wuhu Island! If you have anything you wish to comment, say, mention, etc., don't be afraid to do so. Otherwise I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and till next chapter!**


	18. Aboard The Magnificent Melee

**So here we are with Chapter 18! Before moving on further, I want to address one guest review I received from CgStryker, and the questions he brought up. First question regarding Minato having a counterpart. When I originally conceived this story, I didn't consider Minato having a counterpart in all honesty. Tyrianis, another reviewer brought this up as well, in the past. As for Minato having a counterpart... I'll say not likely to be fully honest. I might change my mind, but it's definitely leaning towards not happening. So for CgStryker's second question, will the SEES members get the chance to learn about more fighters like they did with Wii Fit Trainer and Kirby, like they did with the lottery? I'll say this. More Smash Bros characters will get involved eventually but not through that method necessarily.  
**

**Otherwise I hope I addressed these questions sufficiently. Like always, if anyone has anything they want to say, comment, speak, etc, don't be afraid to do so. I also hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

The next day had come, as the members of SEES had their daily morning meeting. Today they were going to discuss what the future was going to entail if Minato had managed to complete his final order from The Master, in September. The room seemed a lot less lively today, as they discussed this.

"So... yeah. One last order for Minato to take down," Junpei said quietly. Normally he be more upbeat, but even he felt the tension growing within him, as silence filled the room, regarding the aftermath of the final order, as anything could occur. "Geez do we really have to discuss this now? Can't we discuss this after the Wuhu Island trip? Seems like such a killjoy topic to discuss,"

"Iori, I understand how you feel, but we have time before the trip, to discuss this," Mitsuru stated, but even she couldn't hide the tension she felt, from her voice. The Master was such an unknown factor to them, as they still didn't know much about him.

"Mitsuru's right. We don't even know what The Master looks like," Akihiko added on. "I wish we could ask the other fighters about The Master more, but I feel that's something they probably aren't allowed to talk about. At least with us,"

"We should go over what we do know about The Master," Mitsuru pointed out.

"What we do know of The Master... he is the entity of creativity and creation according to the eight chairmen," Aigis stated. "He created the competition known as Super Smash Bros, and has immense power as he is able to interact with many worlds and universes. He has placed the eight chairmen in charge of the competition to run it for him, and they are his second in command,"

"Well he definitely seems to be in a stronger league then Nyx," Yukari said with concern. "Can such a being really be reasoned with?"

"If only we had the Investigation Team with us," Ken said. "They were such a great help with the P-1 Climax incident. I bet they be a big help as well for this,"

"Oh yeah. Mitsuru sempai, they helped out during the P-1 Tournament incident as well, right?" Yukari asked. Mitsuru nodded in response. Mitsuru, Akihiko, and Aigis were the ones who got involved with P-1 Tournament, while Yukari, Junpei, Ken and Koromaru didn't get involved till the P-1 Climax incident, which happened shortly afterwards. "I wonder how they handle this situation?"

"Come on guys. Let's calm down," Shinjiro said. "Look... Minato is not fighting The Master or anything like that yet. They're just going to discuss stuff. That's all. I'm sure the eight chairmen aren't going to lie about that. If The Master really were to pull anything funny, he also has all of us to deal with,"

"Shinjiro is right," Minato stated. "Also...The Master hasn't tried to pull any stunts on me, or any of you guys so far. Let's hope he keeps it that way,"

"I hope so," Fuuka whispered, as everyone heard the teal haired girl's words. Koromaru whined as he noticed Fuuka's tension, while Minato really hoped that Fuuka would feel more confident. "But what about the other fighters? They're going to find out eventually about Minato fighting to not want to be in this competition... how are they going to react?"

Silence befell the room. They couldn't deny... during the time spent so far in Smash Tower, they have made some great friendships with some of it's residents. They all wondered, how were they going to react? Would they be understanding? Sure some of them would, like Palutena herself said last night, about being understanding. But would they all necessarily react the same way? Did the members of SEES themselves... also wanted to say goodbye? The meeting soon adjourned as everyone decided to just go for breakfast, as they decided it was time to go eat. Uncertainty and uneasiness was definitely in the air for them.

* * *

As the days leading up to the trip to Wuhu Island passed, the members of SEES informed the other fighters that Minato have faced off against, if any of them wanted to join them on the trip. Pit was delighted to go, while Dark Pit considered it. Ike was happy to been asked but he wanted to visit his home, and see how his family and friends were holding up. Little Mac was suppose to be training with Doc Louis during the break, but was appreciative of the offer. Marth like Ike, while thankful of the offer, wanted to visit his wife Caeda, and his friends back in his own home. Lucina however would consider it, as she still wanted to explore more of this world. Rob was going to meet with his creators for a tune up, and to see how they were doing, as he was concerned for them due to their old age. Mega Man had to decline as well, due to wanting to see how his family was doing. Duck Hunt... well Doggie was busy helping his hunter owner hunt dogs at a lake field, while Ducky was preparing his fellow ducks to not get shot? It sounded so bizarre, but the Duck Hunt fighters in general were bizarre, though they still got along with them. Finally Palutena was delighted to join them, while Bowser Jr. told them, he would have to get permission from his father to go (he still promised he wouldn't tell his dad about SEES, not that the chairmen would want him to). He also refused to call any of them, but Minato and Fuuka by their actual names, as he was still not fond of them, as he came up with names for them (like miss red head for Mitsuru). This garnered mixed reactions for the members of SEES. Shinjiro for example, wasn't sure he was fond of being called mister beanie cap.

Barring them, they also asked Ms. Fit, Shulk, and Kirby, as well as Isabelle, Dillon, and Starfy, if any of them wanted to accompany them on the trip. Ms. Fit was actually planning to visit Wuhu Island, so this worked out perfectly for her. Shulk was going to be visiting his home for family and friends as well, so he had to decline but was glad to have been asked. Kirby was delighted to come and hang out with his new friends more. Isabelle wanted to go but felt she still had to take care of her secretary duty from the town she was from. She was originally going to say no as she felt she didn't deserve to go, but the mayor she worked for from the town she was from, insisted on her having a vacation, so she decided to come along as well in the end. Dillon declined but appreciated the gesture, as he preferred his alone time. Starfy was delight to come along, as he wanted to spend more time with his new friends as well.

Soon the morning of August 15th came. The members of SEES found out from the chairmen that they would take a bus in the morning along with anyone else from Smash Tower, that wanted to go. Dark Pit ended up going due to finding out that Lucina was going, and due to Bowser asking him to watch over Bowser Jr. for him, as that was the only way he was going to allow Junior to go on this vacation trip. They were all in the floor with the huge parking lot, as everyone stuffed their luggage into the huge trunk of a bus with a Smash Bros themed design. They soon were all in the bus and it traveled through the streets of Manhattan, as it soon arrived at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal.

The members of SEES walked out of the large bus, feeling the cool refreshing wind that was in the air, as it was a nice sunny day out. They were all wearing their summer casual clothes, as they walked out. Pit wore a white T-shirt, white shorts, and white sneakers as opposed to his more traditional attire. Dark Pit wore the same kinds of clothing as his counterpart, except in black. Palutena wore a white summer dress and white heels, while Ms. Fit opted to wear a long sleeved version of her light blue tank top, and a slightly longer version of her black shorts. Lucina opted for a dark blue T-shirt, dark blue shorts and dark blue heels. Bowser Jr. wore black sunglasses, similar in design of what his older brother Roy Koopa wore, except they weren't the hot pink kind, as they were just black. He wore them whenever it was really bright and sunny out, and wanted to be appear tougher like his siblings to the public. Isabelle wore a green summer dress, and green shoes. Kirby and Starfy weren't wearing anything but both were planning on wearing their own snorkel mask, and with a red and blue Smash Bros styled swimming tube around them, later on, as they were very excited to play at the resort and on the cruise ship.

"Everyone's in high spirits today!" Fuuka exclaimed happily, as the rest of SEES smiled in agreement. They all walked and looked around as they saw many cruise ships, and soon found a huge one that they were looking for. It was marked with the Smash Bros emblem on the front parts of the huge ship, and it was owned by Smash Corp. The cruise ship went by the title of the "Magnificent Melee." Smash Corp also owned one other cruise liner that went by the name of the "Beautiful Brawl." Besides hosting and managing the Smash Bros Tournaments, Smash Corp dabbled in other industries and businesses. Having their own cruise liner business being one of them, for both private and commercial use. Many people who were already on the cruise ship, and along the pier were excited to see the stars out and about, as people began making many comments, to their chagrin.

"Oh my god it's Pit and Pittoo! They're so heavenly!"

"Kirby and Starfy are so cute!"

"Bowser Jr. is adorable too!"

"Please give us an autograph Palutena!"

"Are you offering free fitness lessons Ms. Fit? I need to get more in shape and-"

"Isabelle is the cutest secretary!"

"Hey! Aren't they SEES!?"

"Oh it's Minato-kun!"

"Are you allowed to have a dog on a cruise ship?"

"Good luck Minato! You'll make it into Smash Bros for sure!"

A plethora of comments, whether they be complimenting, or absurd, was thrown out there by the public, for all of them to hear as they made their way to the Magnificent Melee cruise ship. They all had mixed reactions depending on the comment and the one getting commented. Their luggage was being carried from the bus by minions Bowser Jr. had called up in advance to meet the bus's location at the terminal. Following behind them all, were Monty Moles (brown mole like creatures from Junior's world) and they were wearing black worker caps, with Bowser Jr.'s orange symbol on it, which was a symbol based on his face, as they carried everyone's luggage. Soon they were all on the ship along with their luggage, as the Monty Moles happily saluted to Junior, before leaving. The members of SEES had to admit, being a prince had it's perks.

"It's good to have your own minions," Bowser Jr. said happily. "I would have hated carrying all my stuff onto this ship,"

"But I'm pretty sure we have to carry all our luggage into our rooms still right?" Aigis questioned, as she wasn't sure Bowser Jr. fully thought this out. Bowser Jr. shook his head for a no, as he snapped his fingers. Koopa Paratroopas (winged turtle like creatures that wore either a green or red shell) appeared wearing the same worker caps the Monty Moles had, surprising the members of SEES.

"No way miss blonde robot." Bowser Jr. said in a confident tone. "I got lots of different kinds of minions working for me. These guys will carry your stuff into your designated rooms. I'll also have minions meeting us on Wuhu Island to carry our stuff onto Wuhu Island's hotel. Let's get that out of the way, because I want to go for lunch as soon as possible!"

They all split as they went to go for the rooms they were assigned to with each individual having a Koopa Paratroopa following each of them. Pit and Dark Pit shared a room with Junior, Palutena shared a room with Ms. Fit and Lucina, and Isabelle shared a room with Kirby and Starfy to watch over the two. Mitsuru, Yukari, and Aigis shared a room, Junpei, Akihiko, and Shinjiro shared a room, while Minato, Fuuka, and Ken shared a room, and had Koromaru stay with them. This was thankfully all in the same hallway, so everyone from Smash Tower could easily reach each other. They all thanked the Koopa Paratroopas, and they were dismissed as they flew away from the cruise ship. They soon all headed to one of the dining areas on the cruise ship. The one they went to was a buffet, as they all sat down together at a huge circular table, as it was now lunch time, and none of them had the chance to eat breakfast, due to preparing for the bus ride in the morning. They were all given free ice water drinks as they sat down, but after that, some who had a craving for sweets instantly got up.

"I call dibs on the ice cream first!" Both Pit and Bowser Jr. yelled out, and stared at each other with gritted teeth, as they both raced each other. Kirby and Starfy happily followed behind as they wanted ice cream as well.

"I hope they enjoy. They seem so energetic today!" Isabelle said warmly, with everyone else agreeing.

"Well at least they're running for it," Ms. Fit said with a gentle smile and laugh. "Also I can't wait to visit Wuhu Island again."

"Ms. Fit, you said you've been planning to visit Wuhu Island before we all asked you to come along, right?" Aigis asked, as Ms. Fit nodded towards the robot girl.

"That's right. I actually live there normally," Ms. Fit explained, surprising the members of SEES.

"You live on Wuhu Island normally? Wow that's pretty cool," Junpei said in amazement. "Is there any reason?"

"Well... I'm sure you all are aware that my title of Wii Fit Trainer, comes from the fact, I run a fitness gym called Wii Fit Studios," Ms. Fit explained as the members of SEES nodded. "Wii Fit Studios is located on Wuhu Island, so besides me living there normally, I also run my fitness gym there,"

"So the fitness studio you run is on Wuhu Island," Akihiko said, understanding why she was visiting Wuhu Island now. "So why the name Wii Fit Studios anyway?"

"Also, who runs and manages it currently, since you're away?" Mitsuru asked curiously.

"I'll start with who runs and manages it, since that will lead into why it's named that way. I have a brother who's the same age as me, and is into fitness and health as well. He's also a certified fitness instructor. He's been managing it primarily for us, since I got accepted into this tournament." Ms. Fit explained so far. "Also as for the name Wii Fit Studios... well my brother and I were coming up with names, and he joked we fitness instructors were the only ones handling the studios at the time. One thing lead to another and... well Wii Fit Studios came about. Wii being like another fun way to say we and such,"

"That explains things." Fuuka said, as the members of SEES would all imagine that Ms. Fit was mainly going to Wuhu Island, to visit her brother. "Well that's really nice of you, to visit your family like that,"

"Thank you. It is going to be nice to see my brother. I can't wait to tell him in person, all the interesting experiences I've had and unique fun individuals I've met at Smash Tower so far," Ms. Fit answered with a smile. "Also congratulations to Minato. You only have one more order left, before you become an official fighter correct?"

"Yes. My final order is in September," Minato stated. "After that, we'll see how it proceeds,"

"I wonder who will be your final opponent or opponents? Still... best of luck. You and Mitsuru did a fine job defeating me and Marth a while back," Lucina praised. Minato nodded back to her with a smirk, and Mitsuru did the same.

"Thank you. Don't downplay your own strengths as well," Mitsuru said, as she can recall, whenever she fenced against the two, they proved quite challenging, as Lucina nodded back in response. "Keep in mind, during our battle, we had ample assistance from Starfy and Dillon as well,"

"I understand but it's not like we didn't have assistance as well. Granted... it backfired on us, but that's the nature of the fights sometimes," Lucina replied. By this point, Pit, Junior, Kirby and Starfy, were back with ceramic bowels that held different flavors of ice cream, and they all held a metal spoon, as they joined in to listen on the conversation."How about you Dark Pit? How did your fight with Minato go?"

"Well it could have went better if Pit wasn't my partner," Dark Pit whined, while Pit just sheepishly grinned while he continued to eat his ice cream. "But on a more serious note, Minato and Yukari are really tough opponents. "

"Thank you," Yukari said with a smile. "You and Pit are pretty tough guys as well. Actually... to be fully honest, I think Fuuka was the reason we won, and why Minato has succeeded in every order so far,"

Everyone turned to face Fuuka, as she had a nervous expression upon her face. She wasn't used to this amount of attention, as everyone looked at her, possibly expecting a response.

"But Yukari... you and Minato were the ones out there fighting Pit and Dark Pit," Fuuka said. "Plus you were the one that sent both Pit and Dark Pit flying out of the arena at the Reset Bomb Forest,"

"But if it weren't for your strategies and research, we probably would have lost. Don't discredit yourself Fuuka," Yukari said to her concerned. Fuuka was about to retort, but Pit chimed in as he wanted to say something.

"I agree Yukari. Fuuka has been there every step of the way for all these fights for Minato," Pit praised. Fuuka nodded, though she felt herself embarrassed by the attention. Palutena noticed this and tried to make her feel more confident as well.

"Relax. It's not a big deal. Be proud of your support. I do the same for Pit for some of his matches sometimes," Palutena explained.

"Really?" Fuuka asked with curiosity. Both Pit and Palutena nodded in response towards her.

"It's true! Lady Palutena gives me advice on one of the arenas in the current tournament." Pit said in response. "The arena that's based off her temple, from our world, called Palutena's Temple. You guys don't know about it, since it hasn't been one of the arenas present in any of Minato's orders,"

"Pit is correct," Palutena replied with a smirk. "If I have free time, and if Pit's having a match there, I tend to give Pit some pointers about his opponent in some way sometimes. Also I'm not the only one, as Doc Louis cheers for Little Mac during all his fights,"

"That's true. Doc Louis is usually around Little Mac to support," Akihiko noted. "So yeah... you have been with Minato on every match so far Fuuka."

Before the conversation could continue, a loud bell began to ring, from the speakers throughout the ship, and a voice soon began to speak from the speakers,

"Good afternoon to all our guests! The Magnificent Melee will soon begin departure. We shall arrive at Wuhu Island sometime tomorrow. We will be returning to New York City on August 22nd, as that date is when our ship will depart from Wuhu Island during the afternoon. If any guests has any concerns, or questions, please ask any employees stationed on our cruise ship, for anything you want to be addressed. Otherwise, all of you have a fun and safe trip on the Magnificent Melee and and on Wuhu Island!" announced who was presumably the captain, of the cruise ship. They all decided to get food from the buffet at that point, and ate and conversed. Isabelle and Fuuka made sure Kirby wouldn't take too much, as they knew the lovable little guy loved to eat, and could easily clean the buffet area clean. One topic brought up, was them being on a cruise ship in the first place.

"It's so exciting," Isabelle exclaimed. "I've never been on a cruise ship before. Maybe I can ask Mr. Mayor to go one day?"

"Most people in general don't go on cruise ships unless they have the time or money," Shinjiro stated. "I don't think I've been on one till now actually,"

"What are you talking about Shinjiro sempai? Didn't you... oh right," Junpei stated, as he recalled the trip the members of SEES had, to Yakushima. Shinjiro was not with SEES at the current time of the trip. This caused the other fighters, to have curious expressions on their faces.

"I haven't been on one as well till now," Ken added, as Koromaru barked in agreement with him. "Everyone else went to the Yakushima trip right Minato-san?"

"I do not believe I was on one, till after their trip to Yakushima," Aigis also noted.

"Yakushima trip?" Lucina asked curiously, as some members of SEES nodded towards her. Mitsuru decided to brief the others, about it.

"Yes. It was during the year of 2009 during the month of July," Mitsuru noted. "We were taking time off during Summer vacation and-"

* * *

We now view a different scene that happened many years ago. It was now July 20th in 2009, as we view a large beautiful blue ocean, and a large white cruise ship on top of it. It slowly made it's way towards an island region in Japan known as Yakushima. Junpei in his casual Summer clothes could be seen grinning with joy as he and the others were on the deck, as he stared towards the island with an ecstatic expression as he kept chanting it's name. Akihiko, Mitsuru, Yukari, Fuuka, and Minato nodded, as they all stared at it as well.

"Thank you so much Mitsuru sempai," Fuuka said, as Mitsuru was the reason they were all taking this trip. Mitsuru smiled happily at hearing the teal blue haired girl's words.

"Not a problem. All of us deserve some time for rest and relaxation," Mitsuru warmly replied.

"Yeah. It'll be a good chance to unwind and... forget about our last full moon operation," Yukari said embarrassed, as their most recent operation, fighting special shadows got really embarrassing for her and Minato. Minato just sighed, as he didn't want to be reminded of what happened during that last full moon operation, while everyone else looked confused.

"I wonder if Yakushima has any interesting spots to train," Akihiko mumbled to himself quietly, as he wanted his pal to come with him. Fuuka noted that everyone was generally in high spirits, though she noticed that Minato was staying silent, and he seemed to be feeling a bit apathetic. She stepped towards him and quietly asked how he was doing.

"Minato-kun? You okay?" Fuuka asked concerned. Minato blinked his eyes for a bit, as he slowly looked towards Fuuka, with an expression that changed from concern, to one with a smile.

"Sorry. I just have a lot on my mind," Minato said quietly. He was still wondering about so many things, as he still had so many unanswered questions about this whole situation, they were all in. Not many teenagers would be in their situation, as reality would have it.

"Well if you want to talk about it, I'm always available, like you've always been available to socialize with me lately," Fuuka said, as the two of them began hanging out after she had joined SEES. She was always going to be thankful to Minato and the others, saving her from Tartarus. That insidious mysterious tower they still had to explore. Minato in particular she felt really close to, considering the brief time they spent together, before she got trapped in Tartarus.

"No problem Fuuka. If you want, I actually wouldn't mind discussing it right now. We can go somewhere more private if you want?" Minato replied. Fuuka happily nodded, and the two walked towards a different part of the cruise ship, while the rest of SEES smiled for them.

"Awww. They're so cute together. They really should just become an official couple already," Yukari said happily for both Minato and Fuuka, to the others, as soon as they were far away enough. "Fuuka the princess, saved by her prince Minato, from the evil tower of Tartarus! He's so much more energetic now, compared to before, with her around,"

"You got that right Yuka-tan. I remember Minato being apathetic as all heck, even without Apathy Syndrome before he met Fuuka," Junpei said. "We both saw him actually genuinely smile that day as well, when she recovered from the hospital and waited in her classroom, when she came back to school, to make sure she was alright."

"I'm glad. He cares a lot for her and she feels the same way," Mitsuru said with a smile. "I'm happy Arisato and Yamagishi, can be happier when together."

"Well it's important for her to get along with our leader, considering she's our navigator. I'm also glad they're getting along in general," Akihiko stated. Soon the boat arrived at Yakushima, and they all departed, as they were staying at a vacation home that Mitsuru's family had, and soon began some summertime fun for them.

* * *

"Things went from there, and we had a generally good time," Mitsuru stated with a smirk, as the rest of them listened. Both Minato and Fuuka blushed and looked away, as they just learned their friends were even pushing for both of them to get together, that early. Bowser Jr. couldn't help but roll his black beady eyes from behind his black sunglasses, due to it being so cheesy, as he kept using his fork on the pasta he gotten, while the others couldn't help but smile. Soon their lunch ended, and everyone left as they all searched the cruise ship for activities to do. Junpei and Akihiko were challenged by both Bowser Jr. and Dark Pit for a game of tennis, with Aigis and Shinjiro serving as referees for them as the huge cruise ship had a fenced tennis court. Needless to say, the two male SEES boys had some difficulty, especially against Junior, who played a ton of tennis in his free time. Yukari and Mitsuru, along with Lucina, Palutena, and Ms. Fit, were all sunbathing on deck, as they all changed into their bathing suits, just enjoying the peaceful fun atmosphere. Nearby them, was a water slide and pool area where Pit, Isabelle, Fuuka, Minato, Ken, Kirby, and Starfy were all playing in, after also changing into their bathing suits (though in Kirby and Starfy's case, they were using their snorkel mask and swimming tubes). Koromaru napped peacefully nearby them, as they all played around and relaxed in the water.

It was soon night time, as they had all just finished dinner from one of the fancy dining restaurants. The others had all opted to go to check out more of the interior of the cruise ship more, while Minato and Fuuka opted to stay on deck as they watched the sea, and the night sky that turned dark, with stars glittering the sky. The two were calmly staring at the sea, while they held each other.

"It feels nice, doesn't it?" Minato stated gently. Fuuka nodded in response, as this feeling was one, she would never tire of. To be in Minato's warm embrace. For Minato it was something he never tired of as well, to be in his priestess's embrace.

"Yes. Yes it-" but before Fuuka could finish her words, she felt someone push her out of the way, as she felt herself falling onto the floor. Minato quickly helped her up, and angrily stared at the person in front of them, who was walking fast away.

"Manners are a thing, you know!" Minato yelled out with a angered expression. The person turned around to look at the two with a sarcastic smirk on her face. She wore an orange summer dress, neon blue heels, and had brown hair and black eyes.

"Sorry about that. Was in a rush," the women said with with both a confident and mocking tone, as she walked away, with that sarcastic smirk still plastered on her face.

"Sorry for being in your way," Fuuka remarked sadly, but the women was gone and didn't hear her. Minato however just sighed from what he just heard from Fuuka.

"Fuuka... don't be sorry. That women was clearly being rude on purpose," Minato stated.

"I... you're right." Fuuka said. She knew one thing that she still wanted to work on was her confidence and standing up for herself. It wasn't that great lately. Minato sighed once more, and smiled, as he held her close to him.

"Hey. Let's go inside alright and see the others?" Minato suggested. She agreed and soon they were heading towards the interior of the cruise ship. That women from before soon found herself in front of a door, that she entered, and saw two other people inside the room, who were both sitting on a couch. They were the Mii Fighters, and dressed appropriately for the weather, occasion, and for their assignment.

"How did it go Gunner?" asked Brawler. Brawler was wearing casual Summer clothing, as he wore a short sleeved red T-shirt, black shorts, and red sandals. Gunner smirked, as she took a seat in one of the chairs in the room.

"Not bad. Observing those two in the future won't be a problem," Gunner stated. "So easy to rile up as well. At least that Minato guy is,"

"Tch. We're only here to observe them during their trip to Wuhu Island, as asked by the eight chairmen. That's all," Sword-Fighter said. Sword-Fighter also wore Summer casual clothing, as he wore a blue short sleeved T-shirt, black shorts, and brown sandals. "Don't go messing with them will you?"

"But they seem like such easy targets to mess with. Especially with that Fuuka girl being so fragile," Gunner whined. "Besides, you two want to mess with them two, don't you?"

Silence filled the room as both Brawler and Sword-Fighter looked away from her with crossed arms, to not try to show any emotion, but a part of them agreed with her, to an extent.

"We're going to one of the bars on this ship, to get a drink," Brawler mentioned. Gunner just smirked once more, as she laughed.

"Well whatever you two want. Anyway I'm done watching them for now. We'll continue tomorrow," Gunner said, as she soon went to one of the bathrooms in the room, and the two others left, as it seems to stand, that our three elite Mii Fighter bodyguards of the eight chairmen, were also on this cruise ship.

* * *

We switch scenes to a very far away location. We're now viewing what appeared to be a huge castle made of dark bricks. It had statues of the whole Bowser family surrounding it, which indicated who lived in it. We go to the throne room that had red carpet, and chandeliers with lit candles on them, as we see a certain Koopa King, sitting on a very large throne, as he looked restless. He had fiery red hair on his head, his reptilian skin was far more rougher compared to his children, he wore a large spiky green shell, black spiked cuffs, had two large horns on his head, and red intimidating eyes. He was Bowser, King of the Koopas, and he chose to head back home during the break, to relax, but he was currently feeling the opposite of relaxed, as he looked ready to freak out.

"Gah! I can't stand this!" Bowser yelled. He knew he trusted Dark Pit, to watch Junior for him, yet he still couldn't feel nervous for his youngest son, being on this vacation trip that he asked to go on. Something about wanting to check out Wuhu Island with the other fighters who chose to go. He however still didn't know about SEES, to their benefit, as he knew only others like Dark Pit would be going. It was driving him crazy, his worry of his youngest son. "Kamek! Get in here you old fool!"

Soon a Koopa wearing a blue wizards robe, a blue wizards hat, black framed circular glasses with blue tinted lenses, and brown shoes entered. He was Kamek, part of a species of Koopa, known as Magikoopas. Kamek was Bowser's royal adviser and had raised the Koopa King since he was a child as well.

"What is it sire? You seem extremely distressed. More distressed during that time I helped make you lose in the Mushroom Kingdom U arena during one of your fights in the new tournament," Kamek said.

"Quiet you old coot. I can't calm down at all!" Bowser yelled out. "I shouldn't have let Junior go on that vacation trip!"

"Didn't you tell me, you asked someone to watch over him from Smash Tower?" Kamek asked. "Besides as the future ruler of this kingdom, don't you think he should start being somewhat independent? Aren't you being a bit overprotective sire?"

"He's my youngest kid, you stupid old bag of bones! He needs more supervision if anything!" Bowser shouted, as Kamek just sighed from hearing the insults he was so familiar with. "Yes I did ask someone to watch over him but... I don't know! I just can't help but feel worried still,"

"Why don't you send more people to watch over him then? Like your other children who are older?" Kamek suggested. Bowser blinked for a bit, before a light bulb figuratively lit up in his brain, as he was very receptive to the idea he just heard.

"That's a great idea Kamek! Get my other kids in here pronto!" Bowser yelled out. Kamek nodded, and he slowly left the room. A short time later, three of Bowser's other children entered the room, as Morton, Iggy, and Roy were now present.

"Huh? Where's Larry, Lemmy, Wendy, and Ludwig?" Bowser questioned, as he only saw three out of his remaining seven children here.

"They're busy trying to get Captain Toad's autograph and won't be back for a long while, as they're trying to find him," Morton said. Bowser rolled his red eyes, and grumbled about Captain Toad being a popular star in their world right now.

"Well in that case, I guess they're excused. I need you three to do me a favor this week," Bowser asked.

"But dad, I was planning on building a new invention!" Iggy whined.

"I was planning on trying this new exercise equipment I just bought earlier today, to build more muscle," Roy said ticked.

"I really wanted to try making new recipes from this new cookbook I bought," Morton said annoyed.

"**QUIET!**" Bowser roared out, immediately making Iggy, Roy, and Morton flinch, as they clammed up. "You guys can do all that stuff later, after you do this one favor for me. Starting tomorrow, I want you three to go to Wuhu Island and watch Junior for me for this week!"

Iggy, Roy, and Morton all cringed. They were insanely jealous of Junior, considering he was going to inherit their father's throne, despite being the youngest one in the family. They all nodded reluctantly as their father explained how they could use a teleporter granted to him, from The Master, to get to the world where the Smash Bros tournaments were held. The three left the throne room complaining amongst each other.

"Man I hate dealing with that little twerp," Roy whined. "Why do we gotta waste our time being babysitters, when we all got better things to do?"

"So many recipes I wanted to try and taste," Morton whined, before Iggy rolled his eyes at what he heard. "I mean... yeah! I don't want to deal with Junior either,"

"I was really hoping to finally build a new invention for my Chain Chomp pet to play with," Iggy grumbled. "Oh well. We can always mess with Wuhu Island after we find Junior,"

Both Roy and Morton smiled when they heard that. They did love being mean and messing with others. The three retired for the night, and the rest of this week was going to prove rather interesting with multiple different groups, at Wuhu Island.

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**So here we are at the end of Chapter 18. What did you guys think? Notes as always. **

**1\. Magnificent Melee &amp; Beautiful Brawl... well I figure I go for something that show they definitely be owned by Smash Corp, for the Cruise Ships. Melee referencing the title of the 2nd Smash Bros game, and Brawl with the 3rd Smash Bros game.**

**2\. In Persona 3, some of the members ended up going to Yakushima, for Summer vacation. They took a cruise ship to get there as well, due to the Kirijo Group.**

**3\. In Smash 3DS/Wii U, Wii Fit Trainer has a male counterpart you can choose to play as. In the context of this story, Ms. Fit's brother (who represents the male counterpart) was running her gym studio while she was away fighting in the tournament.**

**4\. So Yukari during the flashback scene, was referencing the full moon operation that occurred in July 7th in Persona 3. Let's just say things got a bit awkward for her and Minato due to what ended up happening that night, due to external influences due to the Shadows they were dealing with, that night. **

**5\. So yes. Three of Bowser Jr.'s siblings are getting involved. The Koopalings in general are actually options to play as in Smash 3DS/Wii U, as opposed to Bowser Jr. **

**6\. Iggy mentioning his pet Chain Chomp, references his Boss Battle in New Super Mario Bros Wii &amp; New Super Mario Bros 2, when he fights with a Chain Chomp. Roy is the tough muscle guy of the Bowser family, so it make sense he be into stuff like working out. Morton being the big guy he is, must interact with food a lot, so I gave him cooking as a hobby.**

**7\. Kamek is one of the main antagonist of the Mario &amp; Yoshi series. In the context of Smash Bros, he changes the stages layout, in the Mushroom Kingdom U stage, which is only in the Wii U version.**

**8\. What can I say? Captain Toad is a fun character from a fun Wii U game starring him (Captain Toad's Treasure Tracker), and also appeared in Super Mario 3D World and Super Mario Galaxy. In the context of this story, he's just a really popular guy, due to his adventures.**

**9\. What Pit and Palutena talk about in regards to giving advice is, something that's exclusive to the Wii U version of Smash Bros called Palutena's Guidances. Where she will converse with Pit and generally give him advice against an opponent on Palutena's Temple. **

**Well I think that's about it. Like I said before, if you have anything you want to say, go for it. Otherwise I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Till the next chapter!**


	19. A Day At Wuhu Island

**Chapter 19 is finally here. I really apologize for the wait, as besides my inconsistent schedule getting the best of me, I also got really sick last week, when I was pretty much stuck in bed. I also admit this chapter isn't the most exciting one as well. I want to also address some review questions once more, before moving on.**

**So for the guest reviewer who mentioned Minato's reason for not joining and such... well that is definitely something that will be elaborated on, in the future at some point. Also don't apologize whatsoever. I want to clarify anything to the best of my ability. Shulk would be a fitting person to discuss this issue with, huh? But don't worry. This is something that will be addressed eventually (even if it might take a long while) and I don't mind people asking me these kinds of questions.**

**From the other guest reviewer who goes by the name of CgStryker, I'm also going to address your questions. Let's start with your question regarding the lottery, since that one is a lot easier to get out of the way. I don't see myself reusing the lottery method per say, for them to find out about more characters, but I don't want to necessarily limit myself by not saying it's not happening again. For now it's not though.  
**

**As for your other question... well that's a pretty big one. Will I do a similar story with Yu and the P4 cast after this one is over? It was... a possibility I considered to be honest. This is something I'll talk about more, once this story is over. Sorry. Also... funny you mention Yu and P4 because in the context of this story... let's just say... no I can't say. Not yet. We'll get there when we get there. Also thank you for the compliment. I personally feel that a lot of other writers are still better though. **

**Anyway, as usual if you have anything you want to say, criticize, address, note, point out, etc, don't be afraid to do so. After this, we only have one more chapter before we go back to focusing on the eight order. Also another musical tune, this time to set the mood of the chapter. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

_***Wii Sports Series Medley***_

The next day, the members of SEES, and the others they invited from Smash Tower were still enjoying the pleasures, the Magnificent Melee had to offer. Whether it be the delicious food prepared by the top tier chefs hired, the fun activities offered like the fun musical performances offered inside the ship, pool volleyball, mini gold on the ship, and so on. The cruise ship had a diverse fun set of activities for them all to do. It was now evening as we see the cruise ship, slowly approaching Wuhu Island which was off in the distance, and was preparing to dock at the island's docking port.

However we'll focus on three individuals already on the island. Iggy, Morton, and Roy were hanging out in the bowling alley as the three had already arrived and decided to play a few rounds to pass the time and have some fun, before they would have to find Junior, to watch for their father. Morton was eating as he waited for his chance to bowl, but as he ate, he noticed some people nearby were talking on their cellphones. He then realized something that they should probably be doing.

"You know... I think I just realized something," Morton said embarrassed, while he ate some of the snacks he bought at the alley.

"What would that be, you big oaf?" Iggy questioned, already prepared to hear something questionable, come from his brother's mouth, as he sat down on the chair in front of the screen that kept score. The three were nearing the end of their bowling game, as it was currently Roy's turn.

"Well... if we're going to find Junior... we should call him, shouldn't we?" Morton questioned.

"Call him then, you lummox," Roy said annoyed, as he rolled a purple bowling ball, into a bowling lane. He smiled, as the sound of a strike occurred, as he his hot pink sunglasses gleamed with a spiffy shine, as he had a smirk on his mouth.

"But I... forgot my cellphone at home," Morton said embarrassed, as he stuffed his face with cheese nachos and hot dogs, to stop talking.

"You what!?" Iggy said, really annoyed. Roy just began to laugh in response from what he just heard.

"Oh man. Good thing I'm around. Even I'm not that big of a dope to forget my own cellphone of all things," Roy said as he began to search for his own cellphone... and searched... and searched, before it became apparent to the other two that he didn't have his own cellphone on him as well. Roy had a frustrated expression appear on his face, as Iggy laughed at him.

"Big talk coming from the muscle head," Iggy boasted, as he showed off his lime green cellphone. When he tried to turn it on though, he realized something very important was missing, as he looked frustrated while the other two laughed at him. His cellphone's battery was currently dead.

"Sorry pineapple head. But at least I would have my cellphone fully charged on me, if I had it on me," Roy taunted as he continued to laugh. Iggy looked irritated, as he grumbled under his breath, on how he would have to get back at Roy later when they were back home.

"Well it's not a big deal! All we have to do is find a place in town that sells a phone charger!" Iggy whined, as they had decided to finish their bowling game, and look for a place that would fix that issue.

* * *

The Magnificent Melee cruise liner was now docked nearby Wuhu Island, as passengers slowly boarded off the cruise ship. Just as Bowser Jr. promised, he had other minions waiting for them to help carry all their luggage, to the hotel they would be staying at on the island. They were what appeared to be Shy Guys like the ones SEES, had seen racing against each other when Minato and Ken fought Palutena and Bowser Jr. at the Mario Circuit arena, but they wore propeller hats on their heads. They soon found themselves at the hotel called the Cocoba Hotel. They soon checked in, and their hotel room arrangements were done the same way, as their rooms in the cruise ship. They called it a night and soon all went to bed. Come the next day, they were all having breakfast in the hotel's restaurant. They all were looking through the pamphlets they found in the hotel, that listed the numerous locations and activities to do on Wuhu Island.

"They even have competitive Frisbee! We should try that out Koromaru," Ken said, as the dog happily barked in agreement.

"I hope you have a bad time kid!" Bowser Jr. remarked causing Ken to only roll his eyes by this point, while the rest of SEES merely frowned from what they heard. Junior seemed to only still respect Minato and Fuuka somewhat (though he loved to pet Koromaru who allowed him to do so), while the rest of them were still delegated nicknames. Yukari was not particularly fond of being called miss pinkie, because of her like for the color pink. They decided to ignore him, as Akihiko decided to comment next.

"We should try canoeing Shinji. Be fun to do some stuff like that," Akihiko suggested, while Shinjiro decided to try it out. Pit and Dark Pit wanted to join them as well, since canoe activities were both cooperative and competitive (though most of the activities offered on the island were), and they wanted to get in on the action as well.

"Wakeboarding? I've never done that before," Isabelle mused as she looked at her own pamphlet, as she recalled seeing people do it, on some television shows she's seen before.

"The activity of power cruising sounds very appealing," Aigis pondered, as she pictured herself piloting a jet ski, over the blue crystal clear waters, that surrounded Wuhu Island. "I think I will partake in that,"

"No wonder they call it the Sports Resort. They have everything from tennis, baseball, golf, basketball, and to power cruising. They just have so much to do on this island," Palutena said, as she was reading her pamphlet. "They really have something for everyone,"

"They even have archery here. I'm willing to try what they have here over Gekkoukan High," Yukari said, impressed by the selection of activities, and sports that were offered. Palutena was also kind of curious to test her archery skills, so she said she be willing to join Yukari.

"Plus they got all these locations to explore on the island as well. Ruins, caves, and islands not part of the mainland," Lucina said, as she was looking to explore the island on her own leisure, or go with any of the tours provided.

"So much to do on Wuhu Island. I'm am very excited for all of us in general," Fuuka said with a lot of enthusiasm. Kirby and Starfy both squealed in agreement and excitement, while Bowser Jr. looked at his pamphlet with a smirk, as he liked what they offered.

"I think I'm going to head to the basketball courts," Bowser Jr. said, while Kirby and Starfy both nodded and signaled to Junior that they wanted to join. "Yeah you two guys can join. It's three on three basketball in this island anyway and I needed two partners. I have to admit... this place is pretty cool. Papa told me a lot about it, when he visited it before the fourth tournament. When he wanted to get in really good physical shape to get a lot better, for fighting in the new tournament,"

"That's right. I remember your father visiting Wuhu Island before the fourth tournament was even announced," Ms. Fit recalled. "My brother and I ran into him while, we were at our fitness studio, and the rest was history, as it led to the to the new and improved Bowser. That reminds me, I won't be able to join any of you today, for any activities,"

"Is something wrong?" Fuuka asked concerned, for the fitness trainer. Ms. Fit smiled to show the teenager, that nothing was wrong, as she explained herself.

"Don't worry Fuuka. Nothing's wrong at all. While I would love to join you all, it's been so long since I've been with my brother. I would personally just like to spend the whole day, catching up with him," Ms. Fit explained. "I will spend time with you all throughout the week though. I am definitely also looking forward to that, and I'll see you all back at the hotel by tonight,"

"No problem. Enjoy seeing your brother," Dark Pit stated. "What about those who have yet to comment yet?"

Junpei in particular looked really excited as he raised his hand, as if they were all in a high school class to talk. He then held his pamphlet in a way, that pointed towards one very particular spot on the island map, that was labeled with the title of Swordplay Colosseum, that depicted a circular platform surrounded by water below, held by a metal structure, with an audience area for people to watch, circling the platform as a whole, on the outer ends. The circular platform also had two retractable metal ladders built in, for anyone who got knocked off

"They offer swordplay there, where the goal is for people to knock each other off into the water! That's awesome!" Junpei stated excitedly.

"That... doesn't sound very safe," Yukari said, picturing the scenario into her head, of two people hitting each other with swords, till someone was knocked off the center platform, and into the water below.

"Well from what I looked over, it seems to be with plastic swords, and people are given armor and padding as well. So I suppose that's safe for them," Mitsuru stated, as she was normally used to swordplay with fencing conditions. "I'm interested as well,"

"I guess I'll start trying that out. Seems the most interesting thing to do," Minato stated. Soon they all split into various different groups, as they all went to different parts of the island to try whatever sports and activities they wanted to do. Minato, Fuuka, Mitsuru, and Junepei headed to Swordplay Colosseum, all while three certain individuals were tailing them ever so nonchalantly, with none of them knowing. While that was happening, we focus on Iggy, Roy, and Morton once more as they were seen in a different part of the hotel, in a hallway. The three had finally found a phone charger, and Iggy's phone was fully recharged.

"Alright. Let's call Junior before dad gets on our case," Iggy said. He began dialing the numbers to his younger brother's cell phone, before Roy decided to stop him.

"Wait a minute Iggy. Do we really want to deal with that little twerp right now?" Roy said. Iggy stopped dialing, as he looked at Roy with skeptical eyes.

"What are you talking about? Dad asked us to watch Junior, remember?" Iggy said.

"I know that but... I mean the kid's got someone already overlooking him right? Don't you want to mess with people here, or at least enjoy the island for ourselves?" Roy suggested.

"Yeah I do, but I said we do it after we find him," Iggy replied, a bit annoyed, yet he couldn't deny that he would rather not deal with Junior as well.

"I'm not saying we don't deal with Junior. I'm just saying we can do it later this week. What about you Morty? Would you rather deal with Junior now, or later?" Roy asked of us other brother.

"I rather not deal with Junior right now either. I want to try the golf courses they got here and see how they compare to back home!" Morton exclaimed. Iggy sighed while Roy smirked.

"Alright Roy. I guess we can deal with Junior later. But if dad gets mad at us, I'm blaming you," Iggy said, as he stopped dialing his younger sibling's numbers. Roy just smirked, and the three decided to check the golf courses out in the meantime, that were on Wuhu Island.

* * *

We go back to focus on Minato, Fuuka, and Mitsuru as they were sitting among the audience as they waited for Junpei to get on the center platform. They had seen some other matches prior, and they had to admit, it was pretty entertaining to watch the sword fights, and especially with them culminating with an opponent getting knocked into the water. How the tournament worked was that each sword dual consisted of knocking your opponent, two out of three rounds into the water. If by the end of three rounds (since each round was timed for three minutes), both opponents were tied still, it go into sudden death where the main circular platform would have the outer edge of it, taken out. They were lucky to have come when they did, as they were holding a tournament today which prompted Junpei to immediately enter. Minato and Mitsuru entered as well, while Fuuka opted to just watch. Right now it was currently the first rounds. Soon they saw a red helicopter descending, as a ladder came down from it. Junpei who was wearing a red padded face guard, red shin guards, red protective gloves, a red armored like chest piece that wasn't too tight over his normal summer attire, and wielded a red plastic sword. He wore a big smile as he faced the crowd and waved towards Minato, Fuuka, and Mitsuru specifically, and they waved back. The red helicopter went away

"Let's warmly welcome Junpei Iori as he's going to be having a fun time, in his first sword duel here at Wuhu Island!" announced a female announcer, causing the crowd to cheer for him. Junpei had a huge grin as he was so excited, and loved the admiration he was getting. Soon a blue helicopter came by and dropped his opponent. It was someone who wore similar protected attire provided to them, over his blue T-shirt, black shorts, and blue sneakers he was asked to wear, as his brown sandals were not allowed. He had dirty blonde hair, blue eyes, and a very confident smirk as he wielded the blue plastic sword that he would use to against Junpei.

"Let's also warmly welcome someone who is choosing to go by the name... SF!" The female announcer announced. While the rest of the crowd cheered, the three SEES members couldn't help but wonder why this person chose to go by these initials, and what they stood for. Of course this was in reality, Sword-Fighter of the three elite Mii Fighters, as he figure he could keep close watch of Minato and Fuuka by also participating in this tournament. Both Junpei and Sword-Fighter walked to the center of the ring, as that's how every match begun.

"Well good luck... SF dude," Junpei said both warmly and concerned, as he too wondered why this guy was going by initials. Sword-Fighter just smirked in response and nodded. Soon the sound of a gong rang and it began. Junpei immediately swung at Sword-Fighter, but the other individual easily blocked the hit, causing Junpei to lose his balance. Sword-Fighter immediately swung for the openings and smacked Junpei towards the outer edge, catching him off guard.

"Whoa! You're pretty good dude." Junpei remarked both impressed and in a panicked expression, as Sword-Fighter was relentless with a blue plastic sword of all things. Soon enough Junpei soon found himself knocked out, as he fell and crashed into the water. He soon got up sputtering, and was glad his baseball cap stayed on as the platform had it's metal ladders open up, for him to climb up to.

"That opponent Iori is dealing with, clearly has some experience with a sword," Mitsuru remarked as she observed their first round, with Minato and Fuuka in agreement. They expected a rather casual match, but the one calling himself SF was clearly dominating without a sweat. Junpei was back up on the platform and he shook himself, to get some of the water out. Sword-Fighter merely smirked as he and Junpei got on the center of the platform again. Junpei wore a worried expression as he didn't exactly want to get drenched again. A gong sound rang out once more, and this time Junpei decided to be more careful, as he walked around with a defensive stance. Sword-Fighter noticed this and decided to just mess with Junpei, as he just casually walked all around him, as if Junpei was nothing to him. Junpei still kept up a defensive stance but couldn't help but feel nervous. Sword-Fighter then had enough of waiting to see if Junpei would go on the offensive and decided to go on an offensive blitz as he started striking at where Junpei left himself open.

"Hey!" Junpei yelled panicked as he began to be smacked and pushed towards the edge. Sword-Fighter soon knocked him out, as Junpei yelled in frustration about not wanting be drenched once more. As Junpei fell, Sword-Fighter looked at the crowd and immediately stared right at Minato. The three SEES members watching from the audience noticed this, and were confused as this individual found himself staring at him, as he was announced the winner.

"Is that individual staring right at you, Arisato?" Mitsuru said concerned. Minato couldn't help but wonder if he was, or just happen to be staring in their general direction. "Well I should get ready soon. My first round is coming up soon,"

"Good luck Mitsuru sempai," Fuuka replied, but even she found the fact, this mysterious individual was staring at Minato, strange enough to make her feel a bit concerned. Soon Mitsuru had her turn with Junpei back watching, and she performed rather well, as her fencing skills helped her beat her opponent with relative ease. Minato had a similar experience as he had no problem knocking his opponents into the water as well. It was now the semi-finals and Mitsuru was going up again and this time she was facing off against Junpei's opponent from earlier, as both were on the center platform.

"Man. That guy was ridiculously tough." Junpei whined as he sat with Minato and Fuuka. "Seriously, what's that guy's deal?"

"Well maybe Mitsuru sempai will defeat him?" Fuuka said, though they all felt skeptical for some reason. As Mitsuru and Sword-Fighter stood, across from each other, and the sound of a gong ringed, Sword-Fighter immediately went more on the offensive as he was taking Mitsuru more seriously compared to Junpei. She immediately defended herself, but noticed that her opponent, was easily not knocked out of balance, as he continued his unrelenting assault. She felt herself slowly, but surely pushed back, as her feet felt like they were slightly being forced backwards with every hit. She tried to poke at him, but he quickly repelled it, and quickly hit hard at her, pushing her right near the edge. Sword-Fighter immediately went for one final powerful stab, and pushed Mitsuru off as he fell into the water.

"Geez. Even Mitsuru sempai got drenched by this SF guy," Junpei said with a pained expression, as they saw her climb her way back to the platform, using the metal ladders. She wore a somewhat frustrated expression, but she was more concerned on why this person was so good. She went back up and soon the second round began for them. This time she went on the offensive as she went to attack. Sword-Fighter parried, but noticed she didn't easily fall off balance from them, as she went on the offensive. He however was still toying with her, since he knew that he could easily knock her off whenever. Mitsuru felt frustrated as she somehow got this feeling from him.

"Are you treating me like a novice?" Mitsuru said, as she kept on the offensive. Sword-Fighter merely smirked in response, as she decided to lunge after him due to frustration. This time, he sidestepped out of the way, making Mitsuru nearly fall off the arena of her own accord. Before she could quickly turn around, Sword-Fighter immediately stabbed hard at her, and sent her flying towards the water once more, as he was declared the winner. Minato, Fuuka, and Junpei sighed, but soon noticed that this mysterious individual was staring at Minato.

"Why is that guy, staring at you Minato?" Junpei said. Before Minato, and Fuuka were unsure if he was actually staring at him or not, but now they were convinced he was actually staring at Minato for some reason. Why was he staring at him? He didn't even know him, as far as he knew. Sword-Fighter merely smirked once more, as he left the platform. Minato soon had his semi-final match and made it into the finals. It was now evening as the sun began to set, as he stood on the center platform himself. Mitsuru, Junpei, and Fuuka all smiled towards him from where they sat in the audience area.

"Here's our final match of the day folks! Our guest Minato Arisato will soon be facing off against our mysterious SF combatant, as both have made it thus far to the finals! Who is going to win?" announced the female announcer once more. The crowd cheered wildly once more, as Minato's opponent soon landed on the stage. Sword-Fighter had to admit, this was probably the most fun way to keep tabs on someone, as opposed to just watching them, as Gunner suggested to him and Brawler the other night to not simply observe them. Soon the sound of a gong went off, and Sword-Fighter decided to just mess with Minato, as he had full confidence in his own ability. They both simply circled and eyed each other, as they were prepared for the other to make a move.

"You're pretty good for someone using a plastic sword at the moment," Minato remarked. "Do you use swords in your own time?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Sword-Fighter replied with confidence back. They decided to circle each other... till the time for round one ended, and it entered round two. This time Sword-Fighter decided to go on the offensive, as he slashed towards Minato. Minato guarded though he noticed that his opponent didn't let up. Fuuka however began to cheer loudly for Minato as she shouted her support.

"Don't let him get to you Minato!" Fuuka shouted. Sword-Fighter frowned upon hearing that. He rarely had Brawler and Gunner ever cheer him on, as they were watching from the audience as well, so hearing his opponent get cheered on like that, made him feel a bit uncomfortable. Noticing his opponents moment of distress, Minato quickly struck at an opening the Sword-Fighter left himself upon with and quickly capitalized on it, as he quickly went on his own barrage of sword strikes and stabs, putting Sword-Fighter near the edge. His opponent snapped back to reality, as he noticed he was about to fall. As Minato was about to give him the finishing blow, Sword-Fighter leaped over him, and quickly stabbed hard into Minato sending him over the edge, and crashing into the water. Fuuka cringed really hard, while Mitsuru and Junpei sighed, as Minato now had gotten the feeling of being drenched in the water. He quickly climbed back up, but he wasn't deterred as he got ready for round three. If he could win this round, he would end the event in a draw for both of them.

"Let's see if you got what it takes to knock me into the water," Sword-Fighter taunted, as the sound of a gong rung for one last time. This time, both decided to charge straight at each other, as their swordplay became quite a sight, despite being plastic swords of all things. The crowd cheered wildly, while Fuuka along with Junpei and Mitsuru cheered for Minato. Sword-Fighter was starting to hate the fact that he hadn't heard a peep from Brawler and Gunner cheering for him, as he knew he was there in the audience watching as well. This turned into rage, as his sword strikes became harder swings as he pushed Minato closer towards the edge. Minato was close, and he was about to end it with one final stabbing lunge, but Minato decided to pull the same trick, his opponent used on him last round. He quickly leaped into the air, dodging the lunge his opponent and slammed his sword into Sword-Fighter, knocking him off and finally into the water. The crowd cheered wildly, as Sword-Fighter was seen in the water, with a big frustrated frown on his face.

"Looks like today's matches will end in a tie! Well that's all folks. Let's give a warm shout out to all our contestants who chose to participate today, and I hoped you all enjoyed today's show!" the female announcer announced. The crowd cheered wildly once more, as it began to disperse and that was the end of the swordplay matches for today, as they didn't allow any at night normally. Sword-Fighter grumbled under his breath about he got too cocky, as he began to climb back, and how the two individuals he was suppose to be keeping tabs on, were clearly special in some way.

* * *

It was now nighttime as everyone was back at the hotel having dinner, as they all shared what experiences for what they did that day. Akihiko, Shinjiro, Pit, and Dark Pit talked about how canoeing went for them. At first they struggled as they kind of fought against each other while on the same canoe trying to row, only for it to constantly tip over and all four to get drenched. When they eventually found their bearings. It took a bit as Akihiko and Shinjiro naturally clashed some times, while Pit and Dark Pit tended to clash daily. They also competed against each other in teams of two, with Akihiko and Shinjiro claiming victory.

Next came Yukari and Palutena talking about their archery experience. It went very well as they got to shoot at targets all over the island. Bowser Jr. along with Starfy and Kirby managed to clean house at basketball, despite their small sizes. Lucina talked about the various locations she explored on the island either by herself or with a tour group she followed, and was very pleased. Ken and Koromaru had a pleasant time at the beach area where they played some Frisbee, and competed against other pet owners at the area. Isabelle had a very fun time wake boarding, as she had never felt such an adrenaline rush till now. Aigis also got to experience a water sport related thrill, as she got the chance to pilot a jet ski and had a great time. Ms. Fit told them of how her day with her brother went, and how he would like to meet them all in the future. Finally it was time for Minato, Fuuka,, Mitsuru, and Junpei to describe their day. It went normal but then they described their mysterious opponent...

"A guy with the initials of SF, who was really good with a sword, was staring at Minato a lot, even after he beat Junpei and Mitsuru?" Pit questioned confused, as they explained this. "Huh. Sounds kind of peculiar,"

"SF... what could that stand for?" Lucina questioned, as it could have technically stood for a lot of things. "Maybe the guy just knew about Minato and really wanted to face off against him?"

"I suppose that's possible but... I don't know about that," Palutena said skeptical. "It just sounds so suspicious in general,"

"I mean, who goes around calling themselves by initials of all things?" Dark Pit said with skepticism as well. "I agree with Palutena. Sounds suspicious,"

We quickly switch perspectives to a room in a hotel where Sword-Fighter could be seen discussing with Gunner and Brawler, how their day went, in terms of keeping tabs on Minato and Fuuka.

"You know, it be nicer if you guys cheered for me more during my swordplay matches today," Sword-Fighter complained.

"It's not like you cheered for us, when any of the fighters at Smash Tower ever challenge us to a fight," Gunner replied back annoyed. "Besides, I didn't want to distract you,"

"Yeah well... fine. I concede to that point. That girl's cheering for him, kind of distracted me during that last match. That's all," Sword-Fighter whined, while Brawler rolled his eyes, while Gunner laughed. "Oh well. Our job is suppose to me monitoring them and that's all. Nothing else should really matter in this case, other then that,"

"That's right. We should just be monitoring them and that's all," Brawler reminded them, as the three decided to retire for the night, and resume their duties for their eight chairmen superiors for the next day. We shift perspective to the three Koopalings who were still at the golf course as they were currently having the time of their lives. At the current golf hole they were at, they were driving around in a golf cart just tearing the grass apart for fun, as they drove really fast, along with taking anybody's golf balls who were playing at any holes to be mean. Not to mention throwing golf balls at other players, and being huge jerks in general. They also played some golf for themselves when nobody else was around.

"Oh man. Today was awesome, messing with people," Roy said happily, as he drove for the three.

"Yep. So many vending machines we got food from as well," Morton said, as he was chomping on chips.

"Yeah. I gotta admit, you were right Roy." Iggy said with a smirk. "We can always deal with Junior later. It's not like dad has a way to keep track of us,"

Suddenly Roy stopped driving the golf cart as they all heard a certain ringing sound come from Iggy. They all nervously looked at each other, before Iggy took out his lime green cellphone, and noted that the caller ID belonged to their father. Iggy nervously took the call as he placed it on speaker, so everyone else could listen and respond as well.

"Hello? Iggy? You there? I tried calling Morton and Roy a little earlier, but I heard their cellphones ringing in their rooms. How's it going over there?" Bowser asked.

"Umm... great dad! Everything's fine," Iggy said nervously.

"Well that's good. Say can you guys put Junior on the phone? I want to hear how he's doing as well," Bowser asked. All three looked at each other nervously unsure of what to say. "Hello? You still there? Did my phone's connection get dropped or something?"

"Junior just went to use the bathroom!" Morton exclaimed, as Iggy and Roy looked at him with confused and concerned expressions. Silence fell on the other line, as Bowser took this information in and they wondered if he bought it. They then heard him chuckling calmly.

"Oh. In that case that's fine. Well good to know you three are watching him. I'll call you guys up tomorrow night then. Good night," and with that Bowser was gone. All three stared at each other as realization hit them, they should probably find their youngest sibling, before their father caught them goofing off.

"OK... we have to find Junior by tomorrow night or dad might find out we don't have him with us yet. If he finds out we're not watching Junior yet... we're in big trouble," Iggy said concerned. Iggy immediately began dialing Junior's number and hoped he would pickup. He called and the only thing he was left with was a voice message box. Iggy decided to leave a voice mail message, but he really hoped that Junior would actually pickup his phone.

"Call him again. I don't trust that twerp to listen to his messages," Roy said annoyed. Iggy called Junior once more and he didn't pick up again. We briefly switch scenes to the room that Junior, Pit, and Dark Pit were staying at, as we see an orange cellphone connected to a charger. No one was in the actual room though, as everyone was still having dinner together. The three Koopalings looked at each other in silence as Iggy was soon greeted with another voice mail box. "I don't get it. Don't tell me he left his phone at home too?"

"No. I don't think Junior's that forgetful. He's pretty smart for his age," Iggy had to admit. "Maybe it's just because it's kind of late. We'll call him tomorrow morning,"

"I hope we reach him. Dad is real scary when he's angry," Morton said, causing Roy and Iggy to gulp in fear. They knew that while their father loved to spoil them and loved them, when he was in a bad mood, he was in a "bad," mood and was known to throw his own temper tantrums, when things didn't go his way. The three shuddered in fear and decided to head back to the hotel and get back to the room they were staying at. When they found Junior, they did plan on causing more trouble like they did before. If only they had crossed paths with Junior and his group at all, they would have likely solved this problem. At least... so far they haven't.

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**So what did you guys think of this chapter? Notes as always. **

**1\. So a lot of these sports and activities are things you can do in Wii Sports Resort (probably the most prominent game featuring Wuhu Island) and Wii Sports.**

**2\. So the purpose of Junior's siblings and their antics will result in sort of a subplot being resolved next chapter, involving Junior. Since Bowser Jr. still doesn't really regard SEES all that well and has still yet to explain his reasoning for fighting with his Junior Clown Car, and not without it.**

**3\. One more chapter after this will be spent at Wuhu Island, before the cast will head back to Smash Tower, as the header also stated. SEES will get Minato ready for the final order from The Master.  
**

**4\. The Wii Sports Series Medley is a track that plays on the Wuhu Island stage in Smash Bros for Wii U. Summer fun, and locations needs a upbeat Summer track doesn't it? Especially for an island resort.**

**Well that's about it for now. Like always, if you have something to say, don't be afraid to do so. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and till next time!**


	20. Sibling Squabble

**Chapter 20 is here and is the last chapter at Wuhu Island, before we continue on with tackling the final order. I want to say thanks to, CgStryker for the compliments, as I really appreciate them. Though I'm sure a lot of people finish their stories and use correct capitalization and correct punctuation. No need to downplay others. Sorry about that. Just saying.**

**Anyway as usual, if you have anything to say or want to comment about, don't be afraid to do so. Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

The next day came for everyone on their vacation trip. It was now morning as we focus on Pit, Dark Pit, and Bowser Jr. in their hotel room. Pit and Dark Pit were using the two separate bath rooms provided, while Bowser Jr. was outside waiting for them. He was looking at his cellphone that had a message from his brother Iggy as he decided to take a listen to it.

"Hey Junior! This is Iggy. Dad asked me, along with Roy and Morton to watch you. Call me back as soon as possible alright?" the message he had received from Iggy. Junior scowled upon listening to it. He wasn't exactly fond of his siblings since they all tended to look down on him for various reasons. He considered calling them back, but ultimately decided not to.

"But I told papa about having Dark Pit watch me," Bowser Jr. said a bit annoyed. "I'm definitely not calling Iggy, Roy, or Morton back though,"

Soon Pit and Dark Pit were ready and they all headed downstairs. They were all having breakfast once more, as they all talked and discussed what they were going to do for today's activity.

"I was thinking we could all hang out at the beach today? Maybe have a BBQ as well?" Pit suggested.

"But what about checking the other sports and activities on Wuhu Island?" Lucina questioned, as she still wanted to do many things. "I'm not opposed to a beach party though on the beach,"

"Well... we still have the rest of the week. Today's Tuesday right? We would still have Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday before we would have to depart back on Saturday. Plus I really think a beach BBQ be awesome," Pit replied.

"A day at the beach... and a beach BBQ does sound pretty appealing," Minato mused, as he thought it over. "I personally wouldn't mind, how about everybody else?"

"It be a good opportunity to spend time together," Ms. Fit stated, as she had spent the majority of yesterday catching up with her brother. "Sounds like a good way to bond,"

"After being dunked into the water, by that SF guy yesterday, I'm down with anything more relaxing in comparison," Junpei said with both an annoyed and relieved look on his face, as he still wondered who that guy was. "A day at the beaches of Wuhu Island, sounds completely fine for me,"

"I bet that SF guy was no big deal and you're just a wimp for letting yourself get knocked into the water that easily, mister baseball cap," Bowser Jr. taunted, as Junpei looked annoyed at the child. "Find with me. I definitely want to go for BBQ for lunch!"

Kirby and Starfy nodded in agreement, while Mitsuru still couldn't help wonder who they're mysterious SF named opponent was. He was extremely skilled with a blade, even if the one he wielded yesterday was just a plastic one.

"I suppose a day spent at the beach would be relaxing." Mitsuru stated. "Would help get my mind off that mysterious opponent from yesterday,"

"That's good Mitsuru sempai. It be like that time we spent at the beaches at Yakushima," Yukari recalled, as she remembered them having a generally good time. "I'm down with that,"

"No Operation Babe Hunt Junpei," Akihiko grumbled, as Junpei sheepishly smiled in response, as they both recalled how badly that went at Yakushima's beaches. "Otherwise, then yeah, I'm for it as well,"

"You got to tell me how that so called operations went down one day Aki," Shinjiro said, as he was curious to see how Junpei managed to embarrass his pal at the beach. Ken nodded in agreement, and Koromaru barked to agree as well. Aigis smiled, as she recalled their so called operation, led them to finding her. Akihiko frowned and was about to reply at Shinjiro with a heated response, before Mitsuru cleared her throat, indicating she wasn't in the mood to hear them argue. Akihiko backed down, while Shinjiro just sighed.

"A fun day at the beach huh? Are you saying that because you want to see me in a bikini, Pit?" Palutena taunted with a mischievous smile, while Pit's face piratically became a cherry ready to pop, and the members of SEES all looked very surprised from hearing that. Some of the others from Smash Tower just sighed, as they knew Palutena was extremely playful like that. Dark Pit rolled his eyes, though due to Palutena's comment, he began to think of Lucina wearing a bikini. Needless to say, he soon found himself blushing as well.

"Not at all Lady Palutena!" Pit exclaimed, causing the goddess to laugh softly in response. "Anyway... so I guess we're all going to the beach then?"

"I guess so. I can't wait!" Isabelle said happily with a big grin. Before anyone else could comment, they all heard a phone ringing. Attention shifted to Bowser Jr. as he looked at his cellphone once more. He noticed that it was Iggy calling but he refused to answer.

"Aren't you going to answer whoever is calling you?" Dark Pit asked concerned. Bowser Jr. cringed, as he wasn't sure how to respond. He shook his head for a no, as he quickly came up for an excuse.

"It's just an advertising call. That's all," Bowser Jr. said quietly. Dark Pit wasn't sure he bought it, but decided not to pursue the question anymore. Elsewhere we see Iggy, Roy, and Morton at the hotel room staring blankly at Iggy's cellphone, which has once again failed to reach Junior. The three looked at each other with nervous and frustrated eyes.

"Is he purposely not picking up? Maybe we should just search for him normally?" Morton questioned, while Roy had an angered expression on his face.

"Oh man. This can't be happening right now. Why isn't he picking up his phone? No Morty! We are not searching this whole island! How are we going to find that twerp? This island is freaking huge," Roy questioned as he was starting to feel really nervous. Iggy went into deep thought. Surely there was a way to find Junior on Wuhu Island? He then came up with an idea that he was about to suggest.

"I got it! On Wuhu Island, they offer some air sport related activities. Stuff like parachuting and letting people pilot planes! Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?" Iggy suggested.

"Oh I know! We should go parachuting and look around while falling right?" Morton exclaimed as he thought it over. Iggy and Roy stared blankly at him, as they couldn't believe they just heard that.

"What? No you big oaf!" Iggy replied. "What we need to do, is rent a plane and go fly around looking for Junior! Not parachuting of all things,"

"That seems a bit... extreme," Roy questioned. "Granted I like extreme stuff, but just to find Junior? Then again... I guess we don't have a choice in the manner do we?"

"I don't know man. I'll call Junior every hour by from now. If he doesn't pick up by... 3PM, then let's head over to where they let people fly planes and rent one," Iggy questioned. "Also when it's night, I'll turn our cellphone off so dad can't contact us. When we find Junior, we'll just say, the cellphone wasn't charged when he called, and ran out of battery,"

Both Morton and Roy agreed with Iggy. They decided to calm down and head downstairs to get some food. Unfortunately for them, the person they were searching for was gone from the hotel (if only they ran into each other), and was with the others he traveled on the trip with back Soon they were all at the beach, and most of them were now wearing their bathing suits (everyone who sunbathed or played at the pool on the cruise ship. Akihiko and Shinjiro were now wearing swimming shorts as well). Kirby and Starfy were once again wearing their snorkel mask, and swimming tubes around them, as they immediately headed to the ocean water to play around in. Pit bought a portable BBQ set, he would later setup to cook lunch for everyone. While this was happening, a certain trio were situated a bit away, enjoying the beach as well, while also keeping eye on Minato and Fuuka.

* * *

Soon everyone began to either lounge, play, or rest all around the beach doing various things. Everyone was doing something (whether it be playing in the water, a game of volleyball, or just resting on the beach) except Junior oddly. He was busy sitting on one of the available beach chairs that was besides a table with an umbrella, as he was drawing on a sketchbook and had pencils and a box of crayons besides him, as he stared intently at the ocean, before using a pencil to draw. Minato and Fuuka who were just sitting together, as they wanted some quiet time alone, as they were calmly watching everyone do their own activity, noticed the small child was busy drawing something. Both were curious, and wished to inquire more as they went up to him.

"Hey Junior. What are you drawing?" Fuuka asked kindly. Bowser Jr. panicked for a bit, before he noticed Minato and Fuuka sitting besides him, as he then took deep breaths to calm down. He calmly sighed as he decided to talk to them.

"Oh hey Ms. Yamagishi and Mr... Arisato. I was just... doodling. That's all," Bowser Jr. said shyly.

"I kind of doubt that. You seem like the kind of person who can draw more then doodles, if they wanted too," Minato said. Bowser Jr. shyly rubbed his head, with the hand of his that didn't have a pencil. He sighed as he decided to talk more about it.

"Well... okay. Maybe I can draw more then doodles, but who's to say I'm drawing a doodle right now?" Bowser Jr. replied back.

"Can we look at what you're drawing at then?" Fuuka asked. Bowser Jr. carefully looked around to see if anyone else was looking in their direction, as he took off his black sunglasses to take a glance around. Seeing that everyone else was preoccupied with something else, he showed to Fuuka and Minato what he was working on. It appeared to be really a calm ocean, with seagulls flying in the background, and some waves in the background.

"That's pretty nice Junior. You shouldn't be afraid to show other people your work," Fuuka praised. The young prince smiled upon hearing that, but frowned as he decided to explain why he was reluctant to share his artwork with others.

"Yeah well... when you're the youngest in your family and are the next to become a ruler of a kingdom in the future, people have real expectations of you for being a real tough guy," Bowser Jr. explained. "My dad is famous in my world for his reputation, so I feel I kind of have to follow in his footsteps to a certain degree, though I do really like fighting dad's rival though. But I guess the main point is, I think a lot of people would think I'm wimpy if I draw and stuff. At least like this,"

"So is that why you act kind of mean to everyone else?" Minato questioned. Bowser Jr. nodded as Minato and Fuuka took this information in. "I see. You know... real tough guys aren't afraid of what other people think of them, don't you think?"

"Well I didn't ask you for your opinion on that!" Bowser Jr. replied, though he had to personally admit, it sounded true. "But... I guess it's something I can consider for the future. Would... you two like to see my other artwork?"

"We would love too Junior!" Fuuka answered with a smile, as they sat at the same table with Junior, as he began to show them multiple drawings he had shown in the past. He showed them artworks that depicted his siblings in fun silly situations like kart racing, or drawings that depicted his father playing sports in his free time, and many other things. One drawing that Junior showed them at some point really got their attention. It depicted a giant robot of all things. It vaguely resembled the Junior Clown Car, that he piloted for his matches in the current tournament. It had it's main body, colored white with a green neck like painted rim, it had on it's chest a circular hole that had two cannons on it, with a blue glass sphere to the left and right side of the hole with the cannons. It had a small white robotic head, with two yellow eyes shaped like a plus sign, and a yellow square tooth grin, and had a metal ponytail on it's top, that made it look vaguely samurai like. It's arms were large gray metal spring pipe like arms, with green and white metal painted hammers at the end. On the same sketch that depicted the front, a sketch of it from the back was also shown, where it had one blue glass sphere on it's centered back, and six cannons sticking from main metallic body, with three to the left and three to the right of the blue glass sphere.

"What's with the giant robot?" Minato questioned. To him It looked like something a bad guy from Featherman would pilot, forcing the Featherman Rangers to pilot their own giant robot, against it, from what he saw of the television show.

"That's Megahammer! My awesome hammer wielding robot, I piloted to fight against papa's rival a while back, for one of his evil schemes. Sadly papa's rival, blew it up! Forcing me to retreat and get another machine ready for papa, during that evil scheme of his," Bowser Jr. explained.

"Megahammer? Not the most creative name is it?" Minato teased, while Junior just crossed his arms, not caring.

"Well it's a giant robot that fights with hammers! I think it's named appropriately at the very least!" Bowser Jr. whined back. "Anyway... Megahammer is long gone by now. I drew this a while back to keep the memory of it,"

"You really like piloting machines huh?" Fuuka asked, as Bowser Jr. nodded back to her. "You should pilot machines for nicer purposes,"

"Really? Like what? Can I really do something nice with Megahammer as an example?" Bowser Jr. questioned skeptically.

"Well, you can always use robots like Megahammer for good purposes like... fighting other bad guys," Fuuka suggested. Bowser Jr. just laughed in response, while Fuuka just sighed.

"I'm sorry. While I appreciate the suggestion, that's just not my style," Bowser Jr. said.

"What I'm curious about is... do you ever fight without your machines?" Minato asked. Bowser Jr. hesitated for a moment, as he thought about what Minato said. This was bordering on that subject of why Junior fought with his Junior Clown Car.

"Well I have in the past... I just prefer using machines, that's all," Bowser Jr. said quietly. Minato and Fuuka both sensed that Bowser Jr. wanted to drop the subject, so they stopped. Pit then called for everybody as he was done cooking, and as the smell of cooked hot dogs, burgers, ribs, steaks, and so on lured them to a large lunch table present on the beach... all while Junior's cellphone went off once more, as he tried to ignore it. We see his three siblings sitting at what appeared to be an ice cream store, within the mainland of the island, as they each had a ice cream cone for each of them. Morton had a chocolate ice cream cone, Roy had a raspberry ice cream cone, and Iggy had a mint chocolate chip ice cream cone. They all stared at Iggy's lime green cellphone, that vibrated and continued to ring, as it placed at the table they were sitting at, as they watched it ring and vibrate with no response.

"I'm totally convinced by this point, that twerp is purposely ignoring us," Roy said annoyed, as he snacked on his raspberry ice cream cone. "What gives? Why is he ignoring us?"

"Well you did always give him a rough time at home. I remember when you always smacked his sketchbook out of his hands, whenever you saw him drawing with it," Morton said.

"What! I never did such a thing!?" Roy exclaimed in a sarcastic grin, showing he actually agreed with what Morton said. "Anyway I remember one time Junior put his sketchbook in our castle's kitchen, and I saw you smack it off to put one of your large cookbooks on it! So don't act like you were never rude to him, you big lummox!"

"Hey! I really needed the space for that recipe!" Morton replied back, while enjoying his chocolate flavored ice cream. "I was trying a chilli that had tons of ingredients, and I needed space for my cookbook and my ingredients,"

"You could have just asked Junior to move his sketchbook. Don't try to play innocent you big oaf. You're just as nasty as the rest of us," Iggy challenged, as he tasted his mint chocolate ice cream. Iggy took off his eyeglasses as he took out a lime green cleaning cloth, and began wiping his glasses.

"Don't act like you were never a jerk too him as well. Always hiding your stink bombs in his bedroom you merry little prankster," Roy said back. Iggy wore his eyeglasses back on, as he wore a conceited grin, as he was proud of what he just heard. "We should really check out where they lend the planes out on this island anyway. It's 3PM now anyway,"

The three Koopalings were off as they soon arrived at a huge hanger area at the island, that had many friendly flight instructors inside. When they arrived, they had expected easy access to renting a plane. They however had unfortunate news given to them.

"Sorry guys. We're not allowing anyone to rent any planes till sometime later tonight," one of the flight instructors explained.

"But why?" Iggy questioned as he was so sure, they let people rent planes, to fly around Wuhu Island for ease.

"Well yesterday, we had some troublemakers making a mess of some of the golf courses. Since part of the appeal of flying the planes, is viewing the island, in it's best state. We were told by our higher ups that we're not allowing anyone to rent our planes till it's all cleaned up. We should be resuming service sometime tonight since we were told, it should be clean tonight," the flight instructor employee explained. The three Koopalings stared blankly at the flight instructor, as they looked at each other with embarrassed looks. They had realized they're trouble making last night, has resulted in this delay. The three thanked the flight instructor and whistled embarrassed as they left, as they were now forced to wait till night time to begin their plane search.

* * *

The day had continued as they all thanked Pit for his lunch, and spent the remaining time at the beach relaxing and enjoying the atmosphere. It was now night, and everyone was waiting to for the time they agreed to meet for dinner, as everyone had retired to their rooms, except for one individual that prompted concern from his roommates. We see Minato, Fuuka, Ken, and Koromaru sitting on a large blue couch, at the hotel room they were staying at, as they were all peacefully watching a TV show on the HDTV provided in their room. It was a talk show, as it was depicting Crimson, the red chairman who was being currently interviewed about how the current Smash Tournament was going and what was to possibly to look forward to in the future. Minato, Fuuka, and Ken sighed as they weren't exactly the biggest fans of the chairman. They soon heard a knock on their door, as the four decided to get up and see who it was. As they answered, they saw a frowning Pit, and a scowling Dark Pit outside his room.

"You guys alright?" Minato asked, as they both shook their head for a no.

"We need your help. Junior is missing," Dark Pit said seriously. The four immediately looked concerned, as they heard that. "He told me earlier, that he was going to get a drink from downstairs but it's been some time. I checked downstairs and can't find him. Can you guys help search outside?"

"We're going to ask the others and we're all going to split up and search the island," Pit suggested. They nodded in response. Dark Pit had gotten the others out as well and they all decided to split up and search different locations. Minato and Fuuka had a decent idea where he might have been, considering the interactions they had with him, earlier in the day. They led Ken and Koromaru to the beach and was going to see if he was there, and sure enough, they saw him sitting at the same table he was at earlier in the day, this time using crayons to color. They messaged the others with their cellphones they found him. Dark Pit soon responded, that they would wait for them back at the hotel. The rest of SEES decided to meet up with them, before they would head back, as they were curious to see what Junior was up too.

"Hey Junior. Dark Pit was really concerned for you," Minato said, catching the young child's attention. "You shouldn't be out here by yourself this late,"

"Why not Mr. Arisato? I'm not a child! One day I'm going to be king! I can be independent!" Bowser Jr. shouted back, catching them a bit surprised by his loudness. Bowser Jr. then sighed, as he realized that shouting might have been unnecessary. "That was... rude of me. My bad,"

"That was nice of you Junior, to admit that," Ken said, as Koromaru barked in agreement. Bowser Jr. was about to call Ken a kid, but held his tongue instead, as he decided to just pet Koromaru who walked up nearby him as Junior explained to them that he wanted to finish his drawing. In the distance, they all saw a plane slowly flying in the sky, across the ocean.

"I definitely want to learn how to fly a plane here, later this week," Minato remarked, as they all stared at the plane. On the actual plane, sat the three Koopaling, as Roy was in the pilots seat, and Iggy and Morton were in two separate seats behind him, surveying the area with binoculars. Suddenly Morton exclaimed in excitement, as he finally saw who they were looking for.

"It's Junior! He down there on the beach with some people!" Morton shouted out. Iggy using his binoculars, looked towards Morton's direction, and saw his youngest brother, with a white dog, a kid, a blue haired male teenager, and a teal blue haired female teenager. He looked at the scene with confusion, as he didn't recognize the other people at all.

"Who the heck are those guys with Junior?" Iggy questioned in curiosity.

"Doesn't matter. We finally found the twerp. I'll land the plane somewhere. Then let's meet up with him pronto," Roy said, not caring for the details at the moment. Back to those on the beach, the other members of SEES arrived, and they had Kirby, Starfy, and Isabelle with them, as they were part of their search party.

"Hey. Is everything alright?" Isabelle asked concerned. They all nodded, showing nothing bad has happened, causing the other SEES members to sigh in relief.

"Come on Junior. Let's head back to the hotel," Junpei suggested. Before anyone else could say anything, a familiar yet unfamiliar voice rang out, catching all their attention.

"**HEY TWERP! WE FINALLY FOUND YOU!**" which was yelled from a certain tough guy. Junior instantly recognized the voice and frowned, while all the SEES members turned to see where it came from, surprising them all.

"You three are... Roy Koopa, Morton Koopa, and Iggy Koopa," Mitsuru stated, with a bit of shock present in her voice, as none of them actually expected to meet any of Junior's siblings, let alone on Wuhu Island of all places. The three siblings flashed a big smirk, while Junior rolled his eyes.

"I didn't know we were so well known," Morton mumbled as he thought it over, while Iggy decided to be a bit crude.

"Well hello cutie. Want to touch my butt?" Iggy taunted, as he slapped his behind, in front of them while laughing like a lunatic. The SEES members all had a shocked expression on their faces, as they couldn't believe they just heard and saw that, while Iggy continued to laugh. "I understand if you don't. I'm not really a ladies man. Ha!"

"You crude weirdo. You're never going to pick up chicks like that." Roy remarked as he flashed a big smirk. "Anyway... Junior how you've been little man? I see you're trying to copy my style. Not cool,"

Seeing both the sunglasses they both wore live and in person like this, everyone could see that they were the same thing, except Roy's was colored hot pink, while Junior's was black. Roy walked over to his sibling, and with one quick motion grabbed it from his face.

"Hey! Give it back you meanie!" Bowser Jr. shouted angrily, as Roy held it with one hand, and used his other arm to hold his younger brother down, as he flailed his arms with no success. With one quick motion, Roy tossed it towards the direction of the ocean, and they all saw it quickly sink into the water, and used the other hand holding Junior, to shove him to the sandy ground. The young child got back up, and Junior looked as if he were about to cry, but instead quickly had an angered expression on his face instead. The rest of SEES had mixed reactions ranging from sadness to anger, and Isbelle, Kirby and Starfy looked sympathetic towards the young child.

"That's not right!" Fuuka said, with a very saddened expression on her face. Junior's three siblings turned to look at her. "You shouldn't do that to your youngest brother!"

"Who the heck are you? Some irrelevant loser?" Iggy said, catching Fuuka off guard.

"Yeah. We don't take advice from irrelevant losers!" Morton added on as he copied Iggy, as Minato started to grit his teeth in anger from what he was hearing.

"Especially from such a dumb, ugly, and wimpy looking broad," Roy added, as all three Koopalings laughed at her. Fuuka flinched as she wasn't sure how to respond to what she just heard, while everyone else looked furious or disappointed at the Koopalings. She was used to mean remarks in the past, but hearing them again like this wasn't something she expected on Wuhu Island. Isabelle looked really sad for her friend Fuuka, as she tried to call out the Koopalings on their behavior.

"That's not very nice!" Isabelle said. "You three could stand to be nicer!"

"What are you three jerks doing on this island anyway?" Shinjiro questioned with venom.

"Whatever. We don't care," Iggy said with snark as he walked over to Junior and handed him his lime green cellphone and turned it on. Junior looked at him confused, while Iggy continued to talk. "Also to answer the hobo looking dude, why we're here, our dad asked us to watch our youngest brother. Not like we wanted to be stuck with this lame brat,"

"Quit it with the name calling!" Yukari snapped as she couldn't stand to see anyone get bullied. The members of SEES were starting to realize why Junior acted the way he did, considering the hostile siblings he grew up with.

"Dad wanted you three to watch me?" Junior said confused. "But I told him, Dark Pit would watch me and that's why he let me go on this trip in the first place,"

"He was still really concerned. He was being overprotective for you. Just because you resemble him the most," Morton said with hostility, as Junior flinched from what he just heard. "Must be good to become the future king, when Ludwig deserves it more then you!"

"I...well that's..." Bowser Jr. was at a loss for words as he wasn't sure what to say, as he knew they were right. "Look, that doesn't explain why Iggy just handed me his cellphone,"

"Dad is going to call soon, so when he picks up, say we've been watching you since yesterday. That's it," Iggy replied.

"Why should he say that?" Junpei questioned, as it sounded like an odd request.

"Because if he doesn't, then our dad is going to get real mad at us, because we spent yesterday goofing off and not finding our sibling, and we told our dad he was with us since yesterday," Morton said. Iggy and Roy looked at Morton with annoyed expressions.

"Nice going you big mouth," Roy said annoyed. "What else you going to tell them? The flavor of the ice cream you ate today?"

"It was chocolate flavored!" Morton exclaimed, while everyone else looked at him with an awkward expression.

"Anyway, can you just do this for us Junior?" Iggy asked. Junior however shook his head for a no, as he gritted his teeth with anger.

"No. You guys are always bullies to me, just because I happen to be born this way, looking like papa the most! That's also all your fault, for you guys for not finding me yesterday. So no, I won't tell papa what you guys want me to say," Junior said annoyed.

"Why you little twerp! Let me show you, why you'll always be the runt in the family!" Roy said angrily. Roy placed his left elbow outward, as he began running towards Junior, intending to shoulder tackle him. Everyone else except Iggy and Morton were surprised and stunned that Roy would so such a thing to his youngest brother. However Roy stopped as soon as two individuals ran up in front of Junior pretty fast.

"Leave him alone!" Ken yelled out, as he stretched his arms out, in front of Junior while Koromaru barked angrily at Roy. Junior was shocked by what he was seeing, considering he didn't exactly treat Ken nicely in the past.

"What the heck? I don't feel like showing a mutt and a kid, what it feels like, to play football with me. Get out of my way!" Roy shouted. Ken and Koromaru however refused to move. "Really? Fine. I don't feel like dealing with you two then. Morty, why don't you stomp those two to pancakes?"

Morton nodded as he leaped towards where Ken and Koromaru stood and was was about to stomp them both. Junior seeing this, quickly pushed Ken and Koromaru out of the way and quickly went into his green spiky shell, where they previously stood. Morton landed on Junior's green spiky shell, and began hopping on his feet in pain. Starfy along with Koromaru both tackled Morton, sending the big guy, crashing nearby Iggy and Roy, who dodged their brother, who looked really annoyed.

"What's with you people?" Iggy asked. "Buzz off and don't interfere with us, you plebs! What is this Junior? Always having to rely on someone or something else to fight your battles?"

"That's not true!" Bowser Jr. replied, as he reemerged from his green spiky shell. "I've fought by myself before. Against papa's rival without any machines or help before!"

"Yeah and you sucked at it completely, making dad get all those machines or vehicles made for you, for all his later schemes!" Roy taunted as Junior flinched. "That's why you even use your Junior Clown Car for all your matches for this fighting tournament you joined, cause you suck otherwise! The rest of us can put up a decent fight with, or without using any machines,"

Everyone remained silent as Junior tried to talk, but kept going silent. He looked really saddened upon hearing that from Roy. He refused to cry, but it was getting harder and harder to hold back his tears. However Junior's three brothers soon heard something they weren't expecting at all.

"You three are complete assholes," Minato simply stated, as Iggy, Roy and Morton turned to face the blue haired teenager with surprised and angry expressions. "Just saying,"

"Quiet you emo looking punk!" Iggy shouted, as he was very tempted to go into his lime green spiky shell, and spin into Minato. "Man these guys are so lame. Maybe dad was right to send us three to watch you Junior. Hanging out with these lame lamers, whoever the heck they are, is going to make you lamer as well Junior. We'll hang out with you during your vacation break instead,"

"No! You guys are always bullying me, and these guys... have been... a lot nicer to me in comparison. I should have been nicer to all of them from when I first met them. I'm not saying that stuff when dad calls," Junior said quietly as he had to admit it, while the SEES members smiled from what they just heard.

"Ugh. Those guys are such a lame and wimpy influence. That's it, I'll knock you down a peg Junior and show why you shouldn't hang out with those guys," Roy said he as took out what appeared to be a black cannon like bazooka, with a skill mark on the center of the bazooka

"You brought your personal Bill Blaster bazooka with you?" Iggy said confused. "Talk about your priorities,"

"That's Roy for you. Always ready for a fight," Morton said with a smirk.

"I'm going to blow up your little sketchbook, to show what happens when you don't listen to us," Roy said he aimed at the table that still had Junior's sketchbook on it. Junior looked ready to scream and cry, while everyone else wished they had their Evokers on them, to teach these jerks a lesson. Kirby however had enough of these guys, as he quickly ran in front of the table, as Roy just fired a Bullet Bill (which was a black cartoon looking missile with black eyes and white arms) at the table. Kirby used his powerful Inhale ability, to vacuum the Bullet Bill into his mouth and faced the three Koopalings, as he still held it in his mouth. They stared blankly back at Kirby, unsure how to react while Kirby decided to let them have it. He spat the Bullet Bill right back at the three, causing them to scream in terror as the Bullet Bill approached them. Soon an explosion occurred, and the three were sent flying comically in the air, far away from Wuhu Island, now charred and screaming still, as they were soon twinkles in the clear night sky.

"Wow. Don't want to mess with that little guy," Akihiko said. They all walked over to Junior who remained silent, surprised by everything he had just seen, as they tried to make him feel better.

"Are you okay Junior?" Fuuka asked really concerned.

"I feel better compared to before. It's just... I guess I do feel kind of weak. I mean... Roy's right. I can't do anything without relying on someone or something," Junior said quietly. Fuuka felt very empathetic and sympathetic towards the child from what she just head. She's experienced similar feeling and thoughts before in the past. Before Junior could say anything more, she along with Minato and Ken, gave him a gentle hug. Junior smiled at their kindness, as silence filled the air. Soon a cellphone began to ring, as Junior realized he still had Iggy's cellphone on him.

"I guess I should answer this," Junior said as he had somethings in mind to say. He walked away from everyone else as he answered the call, and heard his father's voice.

"Iggy? You there?" Bowser said.

"Nope. It's me papa!" Junior replied happily.

"Junior! I didn't expect you to pick up for your older brother. How are you and how is everything?" Bowser asked happily.

"Great papa. I'm having a fun time on Wuhu Island so far. But listen..." Junior had some things he wanted to say, to get off his mind. "I really appreciate you letting me go on this trip, and I thank you for letting Dark Pit watch over me. But you didn't need to send Iggy, Morton, and Roy to watch over me."

"Well... I mean I'm just concerned for you." Bowser replied back, though he understood where Junior was coming from. "I mean, you're the youngest of all my kids,"

"I know papa, and I appreciate it. But you didn't have to send my brothers. Dark Pit was fine enough. So... I guess what I'm trying to say is, Iggy, Morton, and Roy watching me is unnecessary and I rather just hang out with the others who went along on the trip with me, and have them watching over me as well"

"I see." Bowser said quietly, impressed with how Junior was responding to him at the moment. "Alright then. Good to know Junior. I guess you can tell those three, they can come back home if they want, since I know those three had some stuff they wanted to do this week, I kind of asked them to not do, in favor of looking after you. Alright then Junior, have a good night and enjoy the rest of your vacation."

"Good night papa," and with that, Junior closed Iggy's phone, and walked back towards the others with a smile. "I guess you guys know why I fight with my Junior Clown Car in this tournament. I kind of rely on it, to fight even remotely well."

"Junior..." Ken said quietly, as the young child just sighed and smiled towards Ken.

"You know... even if I do suck at fighting without help or without a machine... I still got into this tournament, and I still do my best working with whatever I'm given or relying on. I also definitely like using my Junior Clown Car to fight with, so it's whatever," Bowser Jr. said happily.

"That's a good way to look at things Junior," Fuuka said with a smile.

"Don't let what your brothers said to you, get to you. If you fight with a machine, you fight with a machine. No shame in that," Minato said calmly. Bowser Jr. nodded as he went to grab his sketchbook, as he believed it was time they went back to the hotel and actually have dinner for that night. They all began to walk back to the hotel as they had a lot to talk about, to the others still waiting for them there. Fuuka began to think over what had happened in the past, as what just happened to Bowser Jr. reminded her of it. She knew she couldn't fight compared to the other SEES members, but she still wanted to contribute, and did her best with what she could do. She could definitely relate. They all continued walking, but Aigis suddenly realized something.

"What about the status of Junior's siblings? Should we be concerned for them?" Aigis stated, as they all stopped to think this over. They all frowned, as they weren't exactly sure if they should do anything more for them, but Junior had a smirk on his face as he had an idea in mind.

"I'll take care of them. No worries. Now come on guys. I'm really hungry for dinner!" Junior shouted excitedly, as he held his sketchbook as he walked, as he had a lot of new ideas to draw, with in regards to a lot of the new people he's met lately. As they all walked away, we see from the top of the hotel on the roof, was Brawler watching the whole event play out with his binoculars. He had debated whether to get involved or not, but had decided against it, as he stayed merely to observing.

"What an interesting bunch," Brawler mumbled, as while he had to focus on observing Minato and Fuuka for his assignment, he noted that their friends were just as interesting in some way. Seeing them start to head back, he decided to go back into the hotel and call it a night. Elsewhere, we see Iggy, Morton, and Roy, still charred and beat up looking, as they landed on an island in the middle of nowhere, due to that explosion earlier. Iggy's glasses, and Roy's sunglasses were slightly cracked, and Morton's feet were wrapped in bandages, considering he stomped on his youngest brother's green spiky shell before. They were all silent due to a combination of thinking over what happened, and due to feeling very sore from the pain they currently felt. Soon they heard the sound of a boat approaching, that had two flags with emblems they recognized. A black flag with a red Bowser emblem, and a green flag with a orange Bowser Jr. emblem on it, as Monty Moles wearing the worker caps with Junior's emblem was seen on the boat.

"I guess that twerp at least didn't leave us out to dry," Roy said, as the three boarded it, and were also given a note, as they arrived. "Huh? What's this about?"

"What does it say?" Morton asked, as Iggy snatched it out of Roy's hands, as he wanted to be the one to read it.

"Dear bros. When dad called, I told him things that wouldn't get you guys in trouble. If you don't believe me, it's whatever, but just wanted to let you know. Dad says you guys can go back home if you want now, as he says he doesn't mind Dark Pit being the only one to watch me. The next time I'm back home, we should try to spend time together, along with Larry, Lemmy, Wendy, and Ludwig and try to get along better. Anyway I guess that's it. From Junior," Iggy read out loud. He was then handed back his lime green cellphone, from one of the Monty Mole servants, and sighed.

"Let's go home. I want to try that new recipe and you two can try it out for me," Morton said, trying to raise his two brother's spirits who looked ready to drop dead from the soreness they felt. The other two simply nodded, went to the inside of the boat they went, and planned to take a vacation back home. They also agreed not to speak of what just happened to their dad, as they didn't want to continue any more potential drama, between them and Junior. That and they didn't want to speak about those teenagers they met as well, as they just wanted to put this whole experience behind them.

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**So thus ends our time on Wuhu Island, as next chapter we resume the struggles of SEES going against the orders. Notes as always.  
**

**1\. W****hile Minato and Fuuka are the main overall stars of this story, I also wanted to show that they're not the only ones who have their own story being played out as well, and to show some love to the Smash Bros cast and side of this crossover story. Thus why I decided to have this little subplot involving Bowser Jr. in the story. I also do have chapters planned in mind that will focus a lot more on the Persona side of this crossover as well in the future.  
**

**2\. Bowser Jr. not fighting so well without machines, refers to his Boss Battles in the first New Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo DS, where he would try to take you on, all by himself. Needless to say he was a very easy opponent. In New Super Mario Bros Wii &amp; New Super Mario Bros U, Bowser Jr. fights with his Junior Clown Car, and proves to be a tougher boss in comparison.**

**3\. ****So the Megahammer robot that was mentioned was one of the bosses in Super Mario Galaxy 2, as it guarded the third Grand Star, that you needed to progress in the game.**

**4\. Air Sports are one of the activities in Wii Sports Resort, consisting of parachuting and piloting a plane.**

**5\. Roy using that Bill Blaster, references his boss battle in New Super Mario Bros U. Unfortunately for him in this chapter, Kirby turned the tables on him. Also him trying to shoulder tackle Junior, references his Boss Battle in New Super Mario Bros 2, as he tries to do that against the player.  
**

**I think that about covers it. Next time, we get ready for the eight of The Master's orders! If you have anything you want to say, go for it. Otherwise I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Till next chapter! **


	21. Meeting The Gluttonous King Dedede

**So Chapter 21 is here at last! But before moving on, I'm going to address the two guest reviews I have received recently.**

**Regarding the whole Shulk talking to Minato thing (if I do end up doing something like that, keep in mind) I actually own Xenoblade for the Wii and have played the game. I appreciate the suggestion, but pretty much know the whole plot already. Xenoblade's story was pretty awesome and I can't wait for the Wii U sequel, and play that one as well. Thank you for the suggestion though. I do appreciate it.**

**Cgstryker, well for the first thing, I understand where you're coming from but everyone's human. We all naturally make mistakes. For the second thing, yes. Bowser Jr. did have his reasons for acting the way he did, due to his insecurities. Some others as well. Also thank you for the story compliment. I hope you and everyone else are enjoying the story in general.**

**Well that's about it. As usual, if you have anything you want to say, comment, speak up about, etc, don't be afraid to do so. Otherwise I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

The dinner they had that night was a rather interesting one, as they all told the others of what happened with Junior and his three siblings they met. Dark Pit wasn't sure how to feel, as he was asked by Bowser to look over Junior. Pit wondered why they were such jerks while Palutena was disappointed to learn they could be so cruel to their youngest sibling. Ms. Fit felt bad, as she never had a negative experience with her brother, so finding out that Junior's siblings acted in such a way towards him, was disappointing. Lucina felt a bit sorrowful as well, as while she had her quarrels with her family and friends, it was never to the extent they heard about.

Nonetheless, Junior told them not to worry about it, and just for them to enjoy their remaining time left on Wuhu Island. They all did just that as they all tried everything Wuhu Island had to offer and had a really fun and relaxing time. They even all got to meet Ms. Fit's brother at the fitness studio they owned, and had him join in some of their activities, as Ms. Fit would cover for her brother. While they all enjoyed their time, soon they would eventually all board the Magnificent Melee and depart from Wuhu Island and resume daily life back at Smash Tower. They were all refreshed, and for SEES, they made a new friend as they have managed to win over Bowser Jr. who has started treating them with more respect. An example of that being, as he would ask Ken if they could walk Koromaru at the indoor park together, and they would both do so, when they had free time together.

Soon time passed and August was gone, and September began, as it was September 1st and it was now time for Minato to receive his final order as it was 11:30 AM in the morning as they made their way to the chairmen's office. The members of SEES were now dressed back in their Gekkoukan uniforms, as the weather was slowly starting to cool down and the weather was starting to become a bit cooler compared to the Summer months. They were now facing the doors that led to the chairmen's office once more, as Minato and Fuuka looked at each other and nodded, and did the same with the others. They all entered and noticed the gray wearing chairman, Ash waiting for them inside. He was sitting, waiting for them as he saw them all approach.

"Let's get down to business. Here's your final order ticket from The Master," Ash said bluntly as he quickly got up, and handed it to Minato. "You know the consequences if you lose, so I'm not going to delve into that. I suggest you start reading about your final order right now,"

"My opponent is someone named... King Dedede?" Minato asked. They all looked confused for a moment, and the name sounded oddly familiar for some reason. Then it clicked, as Minato remembered Pit mentioning a Triple-D when he fought him, and when he managed to land a solid hit with his bludgeon hammer on him during that fight. It at least told him, that Triple-D was most likely this King Dedede, and most likely fought with a bludgeon (most likely a hammer), and it fit with Fuuka's theory which has been pretty much correct so far.

"Yes. He'll be your final opponent for the last of The Master's orders," Ash stated simply. "Continue reading the details Mr. Arisato,"

"This match will be a one stock battle, and will take place at an arena called the Halberd on September 14th during 3PM. Item conditions will be unknown this time?" Minato said, with a bit of a confused tone in his voice, as he was unfamiliar with this new arena and the fact that item conditions were going to be unknown this time. He looked towards Ash who flashed a smirk.

"It is as it says. Item conditions will be unknown. Perhaps no items will appear? Or every item whether you've interacted with them or not will show up? It'll remain a mystery till you are in the heat of battle," Ash explained. The members of SEES frowned upon hearing that, but it didn't seem like they had much of a choice in the manner. "Also, King Dedede has made himself available for an appointment with Mr. Arisato at 12PM for lunch time at the cafeteria, which will soon occur. Would you like the chance to meet him, Mr. Arisato?

"Another early appointment at the cafeteria? I guess meeting my opponent early once more couldn't hurt. I accept," Minato stated, while Ash nodded in response. "Since we're all here, what exactly is going to happen if I manage to win this order?"

Ash frowned, as it was a possibility that he didn't want happening, or imagining. Still, he had to admit it could definitely happen. His expression turned serious as he started to explain.

"Well, from what my brothers and I have discussed with The Master is, that if you were to complete your final order, the following would occur. The Master has stated that he would be willing to speak with you on the following day after your match with King Dedede, and is willing to discuss your proposal. We'll discuss this more once you actually defeat King Dedede though," Ash explained. "Any other questions?"

"What's the Halberd arena? Isn't that the name of a weapon?" Ken asked confused, as it sounded pretty weird to be the name of an arena. Ash just smirked once more, as he decided to explain.

"I'll leave it to you all to find out the information you need. Good luck Mr. Arisato. May I hope you lose against King Dedede, so you can stop wasting The Master's time with this nonsense," Ash stated bluntly, as he he felt he said enough. They all frowned, but figured they had heard all the information they were going to get out of the gray wearing chairman for now, not to mention not deal with his blunt mouth as well, as they left and headed back to their own floor. As soon as they were all situated back in their own conference room, and took their seats, they all decided to discuss what they had on their minds.

"King Dedede? Dedede? Who names their kid that?" Junpei questioned. "Dedede... Dedede... what a weird name,"

"Fits in with who Triple-D should be, as Pit referred to someone like that in the past," Yukari said. "King Dedede huh? I wonder what he looks like?"

"Well since we have some time before we meet this King Dedede, we should at least see what he looks like, before we go see him," Mitsuru suggested as they all nodded in response. Fuuka soon setup the computer in the room as she hooked up her tablet to it, and turned off the lights. Soon they were all viewing a holographic model of King Dedede. He was a portly blue penguin, that had blue eyes, a yellow beak like mouth, and yellow flipper like feet. He wore yellow mitten like gloves, a red cap with a white fluff ball on top and had a golden rim, a yellow kimono like clothing with a red and yellow zigzagged girdle band, stretched over his stomach, and red robes with white fuzzy fur along the rims and on the cuffs, and it had a symbol on the back. The symbol being a blue peace sign, surrounded by a golden circle. In his right hand, he held a large wooden hammer that had a yellow star symbol on a pink background, on each side of the hammer head. Needless to say, the fact he was wielding such a large weapon with ease, was concerning.

"King Dedede is a big hammer wielding penguin?" Ken said, in disbelief. "This guy is Shinjiro sempai's counterpart for Minato to fight against?"

"Tch. I guess I'm going to be helping Minato beat an overweight hammer wielding penguin then," Shinjiro answered with a shrug, as it was now his turn to help Minato fighting someone who fought similarly to him. "Looks pretty strong to be wielding that huge hammer with just one hand though,"

"So I wonder what world he is from?" Aigis said, as she began to imagine King Dedede ruling over a bunch of regular penguins, as a mental image, in the middle of the Antarctic. It made her smile at the thought, though she kind of doubted that was the actual case.

"Guess we'll find out. King Dedede huh?" Akihiko said, unsure of what to make of the new fighter. "He doesn't seem to be in the fittest shape, but then again, if he's in this fighting competition, and as Shinji pointed out, can hold that huge wooden hammer with ease, then he must be pretty strong as well,"

"Yes. Appearances can be deceiving," Mitsuru stated as she looked towards Ken who nodded back to her. "His wielding of his hammers, reminds me of how you wield your bludgeon weapons with ease as well, Shinjiro,"

"Tch. I guess so," Shinjiro said, shrugging once more. "You two have any comments about him? Minato? Fuuka?"

"He seems like... a jolly fellow going off that big smile of his," Fuuka said, as she always wanted to go to the zoo to see the cute penguins they had, though finally meeting one in person like this, was very different then what she expected. "I hope he has a nice personality,"

"Maybe he will, maybe he won't. I guess we'll just have to see," Minato stated, as Koromaru barked in agreement. They all soon left the room as Fuuka closed the computer, turned the lights back on, as she grabbed her teal notebook and made sure to have a pencil for what was most likely going to be, their last interview with a fighter.

* * *

Before we proceed any further, let's rewind to the night before. We see King Dedede walking up to the office that belonged to the chairmen, as outside Smash Tower it was currently night time. As he approached the doors that led to their conference room, it opened and he saw the three elite Mii Fighters emerge from it, and walk past him. He sneered, as he wasn't exactly fond of them. It didn't help the last time he challenged each of them in a match one on one, he had his butt whooped and lost against each of them. He soon walked in and saw the eight chairmen inside and was wondering why they called him in. He hoped they didn't find out about him snatching one of his Amiibos, before they started selling them, and were forbidden from the rest of the public.

"Alright what's the deal? You guys are interrupting my time to enjoy the room service I ordered for my room tonight!" Dedede whined but at the same time, said with a hint of worry in his voice. The chairmen all laughed in a friendly manner, while Dedede looked annoyed.

"We understand that the king of Dream Land is a rather ravenous individual, so this won't take that long, rest assured," Azure stated calmly, while Dedede rolled his eyes at the remark he heard.

"Alright. Make with the talking so I can get with my eating then!" Dedede said. They all nodded, as they wore a smirk towards the gluttonous king.

"Very well. So Dedede... we have checked your schedule in terms of your upcoming matches, and we have noticed you were free on September 14th. Could we pencil you in, for a special match?" Crimson explained. Dedede looked at the red chairman with confusion, as he wasn't sure where this was going.

"A special match? What makes it so special?" Dedede questioned, as his curiosity was piqued.

"This special match is against a potential newcomer who might be joining in the future. How would you like the honor to be one of the few to test him out, to see if he's worthy of joining?" Golden said positively. Dedede stared blankly at the yellow chairman, as he wasn't sure how to feel about this, and began to wonder if they were talking about that rumored newcomer he heard about recently.

"Say... this potential newcomer... he wouldn't happen to be a pretty boy teenager who shoots himself in the head, to summon stuff?" Dedede questioned, as this could be who he was hearing about lately. The chairmen all smirked in response from what they just heard.

"Maybe... maybe not. You can find out if you choose to accept testing him out. Do you accept?" Ash stated simply. Dedede smirked, as this sounded entertaining.

"You bet! I can't wait to hammer up a new fool! Dehehehe!" Dedede responded with arrogance. The chairmen all smiled in response. Dedede was a very strong heavyweight fighter who performed reasonably well during the Brawl Tournament when he joined then. If anyone could defeat the wild card Persona user, they wanted to force into their fighting tournament, it was him.

"Excellent to hear you're so enthusiastic about this, Dedede. Great to hear you accepting this special match," Sunset said with excitement. "Also are you free anytime this week?"

"This week? I mean other then having a match against Rosalina tomorrow evening not much else really. I planned to spend my free time golfing for leisure in the indoor golf range we have," Dedede responded.

"That works out perfectly, King Dedede. How would you like to have your lunch with your future opponent and have an interview with him as well, tomorrow during the afternoon? That future opponent being named Minato Arisato?" Fuchsia explained with glee.

"Sure. I don't mind having lunch with this... Minato Arisato guy," Dedede replied "An interview huh?"

"What will Dedede be asking our potential newcomer? I wonder," Jade teased with a smirk, as Dedede went into thought. "Have a good night,"

Dedede left as he went to the floor, he and two other fighters from his world stayed at as he headed to his room. He entered his room, which consisted of a large royal red king sized bed, a table that had the Amiibo of himself he was currently hiding from the chairman, a royal bathroom befitting a king, and purple carpet along with other things you expect in a room. He saw that the food he ordered had arrived while he went to see the chairmen, as he saw a large platter covered by a silver dome on the table. He lifted it up, as he saw a giant prime rib steak, with mashed potatoes with gravy, corn on the cob, and cream spinach as sides. He smiled as he immediately grabbed a silver fork and knife he had nearby, and began to enjoy his meal. When he finished, he drank it all down with a soda float he ordered.

"Ah. This is the life. Beats the cooking of Chef Kawasaki from back home any day," Dedede said with a satisfied grin, as he really enjoyed the cooking from the high class chefs that worked in Smash Tower. He then noticed his Amiibo which he polished regularly, still looking shiny.

"Oh! I'll show you off to Rosalina tomorrow. Like I have with some of the others," Dedede boasted as he liked showing off his Amiibo recently. He then soon went to bed as he wondered what waited for him tomorrow, as he was going to be meeting Minato Arisato.

* * *

Back to the present, as we see Minato, Fuuka, and Shinjiro sitting at a cafeteria table waiting for King Dedede, while the other members of SEES were sitting at another table nearby. Today the cafeteria was just packed with all the other fighters that Minato have either beaten or was allowed to know about, as everyone was in their own table eating and conversing. Soon he had a rather memorable entrance for the members of SEES, as he was carried in on a palanquin that resembled a mini boxing ring, carried by four Waddle Dee minions. Fuuka was ecstatic, as she saw the four Waddle Dees, as their cuteness was very adorable and she just wanted to go pick them up and hug them. It reminded her of when she first saw Starfy and Kirby. Minato and Shinjiro couldn't help but think, this guy was really lazy if he let his own minions carry him in apparently. Dedede leaped off the palanquin and stared at the so called Minato Arisato he would be facing off against in the future, as the rumors matched the description of what he heard. A blue haired pretty boy teenager, though he didn't see anything on the teen at the moment, of him that would allow him to shoot himself, supposedly to summon something. Dedede looked around as he saw Fuuka and Shinjiro, and then noticed the other members of SEES sitting at the other table.

"You?" Dedede said confused, as he wasn't sure what to make of the blue haired teenager. "You're Minato Arisato?"

"Yes I am. You must be King Dedede," Minato replied with a smirk, as he offered his hand out. King Dedede nodded as he shook hands with his yellow mitten gloves with the teenager. "Who are those little guys you have with you?"

"Them? They're some of my Waddle Dee minions," King Dedede explained as he pointed at the four that were with him. Waddle Dees had cute brownish black or black eyes, a round body with their face being tan colored and having rosy cheeks, thought they had no mouths. Their bodies were either brown, red, or orange, they had short little stubs similar to Kirby as arms, and orange yellowish feet. They were very cute and adorable as well, as Fuuka still really wanted to hug the four that were around Dedede at the moment. "Who's your friends with you? Never seen them before as well,"

"I'm Fuuka Yamagishi. I'm here to support Minato during his fights and is very close with him. Nice to meet you," Fuuka said warmly, as she offered her own hand that Dedede shook with as well.

"Shinjiro Aragaki. Friends with all the new people you're seeing here. I've fought with weapons like hammers, so I'm here to help train him against you, since he's fought with them before," Shinjiro stated. Dedede shook hands with Shinjiro, as he took all this information in.

"I see. Well why don't we get lunch? Waddle Dees! Get today's lunch special, whatever it is, for me and my three guests!" Dedede ordered, as the four Waddle Dees nodded towards their king, and walked over to where the chefs worked. "In the meantime, I got my own questions for blue hair here,"

"Ask away King Dedede," Minato said with a shrug. The king nodded as he heard his stomach grumble from not eating and frowned, as he talked while waiting for food.

"Rumor about you, says you shoot yourself in the head to summon stuff. Tell me if that's true or not?" Dedede asked. Minato smirked as it seemed his reputation was starting to precede him, around Smash Tower.

"You'll just have to wait and see till our match," Minato replied. Dedede looked annoyed from what he heard, but had decided to keep calm and not raise his voice in response. "Can I ask you where you're from and a little bit more of yourself?"

"Sure. I am the great King Dedede! Ruler of Dream Land and beloved by all it's citizens!" Dedede boasted with glee. Fuuka wrote these details down and as from what she took away from that was that, Dedede came from the same world that Kirby was also from.

"So do you know Kirby then?" Fuuka asked with curiosity. Dedede visibly scowled when he heard that. He hated how Kirby got all the attention from his world.

"Yeah. I know that pink puffball," Dedede replied, sounding a bit annoyed. "What about him?"

"We're just curious since you brought up where you came from. Do you get along with him by any chance?" Shinjiro asked. Dedede looked around the cafeteria in response from what he just heard, and saw Kirby sitting at another table, as he saw Kirby happily eating a lunch that consisted of sandwiches, chicken noodle soup, and a bottle of milk.

"Eh. It's alright. We used to clash a lot more, but as of late we get along more compared to back then," Dedede replied as he recalled the recent incidents that occurred in their world. Dedede was getting tired of talking about Kirby, so he quickly began to think of ways to change the subject. Suddenly he had the perfect topic in mind.

"It's not like those chairman bozos ever come in here usually," Dedede thought to himself as he pulled out the Amiibo of himself, that he planned to show off to Rosalina later that day. Minato, Fuuka, and Shinjiro stared curiously at what Dedede was holding.

"What is that?" Fuuka asked curiously, as they noted it wasn't a trophy, and yet it was a figure that depicted King Dedede.

"This is an Amiibo. Products that Smash Corp plans to sell in the future at some point depicting us fighters, for any fans or consumers." Dedede explained with a big arrogant grin on his face.

"Amiibo? Is this going to be like a toy or figure line?" Shinjiro asked, as Dedede nodded in response. Minato began to wonder if, another reason Smash Corp wanted him to join, was the corporation wanting to make an Amiibo of him, to sell to people.

"So does that means every fighter in this tournament will have an Amiibo made of them?" Fuuka asked with curiosity. Dedede nodded back in response, while Fuuka thought this over. "Oh. I would buy a Kirby Amiibo then!"

"Hey! You better buy an Amiibo of me!" Dedede snapped in jealousy, from hearing that from Fuuka. He then handed Fuuka his Amiibo and allowed her to take a better look at it. She inspected the figure, as he she viewed it from multiple angles and felt the material.

"Wow. Pretty top quality for a figurine." Fuuka said, as she held it. Dedede laughed happily, but suddenly he heard someone clear their throat behind him. He turned around and his face became pale.

"Chairman Sky!? What are you doing here!?" Dedede said surprised and in a panicked state. The cyan wearing chairman yawned as he stretched his arms for a bit, before smirking in a cocky way, as he faced Dedede as his cyan sunglasses shined from polish.

"Well since you asked King Dedede, I was suppose to have lunch with all my brothers at the Gourmet 64. You know, the very high class popular restaurant Smash Corp operates in Manhattan, to give the world a taste of the high quality cooking that Smash Tower has to offer, that all guests have to reserve in advance if they even want a chance of dining at. What a mouthful... anyway, I kind of overslept and my brothers didn't wait for me. That was my fault for staying up late last night." Sky explained. Dedede nodded, and tried to motion to Fuuka to put away the Amiibo. She didn't notice that he signaled for such a thing, as she just finished observing the King Dedede Amiibo and instead handed it back to the king, causing the penguin to cringe and sweat in fear. Sky noticed he held the Amiibo that depicted himself "I see you've been very naughty King Dedede. Having an Amiibo before they're suppose to be out,"

"They're not suppose to be out?" Fuuka said in a curious tone, as Sky nodded towards her while Dedede looked scared still as he decided to blame them, for his actions.

"They did it!" Dedede said in a panicked state, as Dedede pointed at Minato, Fuuka, and Shinjiro. Fuuka frowned, while Minato and Shinjiro looked annoyed from what they just heard. "They took the Amiibo from the factory area!"

"I highly doubt that. Especially considering the factory where they're being made and stored in, is outside of Smash Tower, and they have spent a majority of their own time in Smash Tower," Sky said, while Dedede began to chatter his teeth in fear. "Plus they shouldn't even know about Amiibos, till you just told them. I have the perfect punishment in mind for you, King Dedede,"

"Punishment!?" Dedede whined with both anger and fear. Sky merely smirked. "Give me a chance Chairman Sky! I don't want to be punished!"

"I don't know. How far are you willing to go, to make up for disobeying?" Sky said lazily, as he yawned. Dedede immediately went on the ground and began to beg, while everyone else in the cafeteria sighed at the sight, except for Kirby, as he wondered why Dedede was doing that. "I see. Then I suppose I can drop your punishment if you do one thing,"

"Anything! I hate punishments from Smash Corp!" Dedede whined, as he recalled that the last time he broke the rules and got caught, he was forced to do Cruel Smash matches for a whole week, as he was forced to fight the most trained and strongest Mii Fighters under the three elite Mii Fighters. It was a very cruel experience to put it lightly.

"Very well. All you have to do... is make sure you win your match against Mr. Arisato on September 14th in the future. That's all," Sky said with a smirk. Minato, Fuuka, and Shinjiro had a surprised expression from hearing that, as Dedede looked back at Chairman Sky with a confused expression. "You do that, and I'll forget this ever happened. Simple as that. I'll let you even keep your Amiibo of yourself if you win, though I'm about to confiscate it out of you for now. Anyway, I best be getting some food here. I'm feeling a bit famished myself. Enjoy your lunch King Dedede... and Mr. Arisato,"

Sky grabbed Dedede's Amiibo, and walked away from them, while Dedede looked at Minato with an angry expression. Minato rolled his eyes, and sighed. His opponent was way more motivated to beat him now, due to what just happened.

"You heard that? Get ready to lose when that day comes, you blue haired teenager!" Dedede said in anger, as his Waddle Dees finally came back and gave him along with Minato, Fuuka, and Shinjiro their lunch specials. It consisted of steak, with steamed carrots and a baked potato with garlic butter, with a drink of root beer. However before Minato, Fuuka, and Shinjiro could even grab a fork and knife, Dedede decided to demonstrate one of his abilities on their lunch specials. He opened his mouth and used an Inhale, as a powerful gust of vacuum like wind, similar to Kirby emerged and sucked up all their food, as they stared blankly at their now empty plates. The other SEES members stared at the king with a combination of surprise and annoyance, while Dedede laughed at what just occurred.

"Dehehehe! You teenagers deserved that. If that girl wasn't being stupid, and didn't hand me back my Amiibo while Chairman Sky was here, I wouldn't be in trouble right now, and I wouldn't have eaten your food like that," Dedede said as he began eating his own lunch special with a fork and knife. Fuuka flinched, as she didn't mean to get Dedede in trouble, while Shinjiro decided to comment on what he just heard.

"Well you shouldn't have taken something that you weren't suppose to take, beforehand. Not to mention you didn't say anything about you getting in trouble for having that figure on you before. So I say you take the blame if anything," Shinjiro explained calmly and annoyed.

"Silence! If something like that happened back in my world and in my country, I have you three thrown into prison!" Dedede replied annoyed, as he gobbled his own food loudly, with a lack of table manners. Minato rolled his eyes, as he could tell, that the relationship SEES currently had with King Dedede, was off to a very shaky start. Soon King Dedede finished and left the cafeteria, as he ordered his Waddle Dee minions to carry him out with his boxing ring like palanquin, as he didn't want to deal with them anymore. The other SEES members regrouped with Minato, Fuuka, and Shinjiro as they decided to voice their thoughts on what just happened.

"What a glutton!" Yukari said with disgust. "That King Dedede... blaming Fuuka for his own dumb mistakes, really got on my nerves!"

"Yeah. He shouldn't have had that Amiibo figure thing, on him, if he didn't want to be caught," Junpei said.

"Was it really his mistake?" Fuuka said quietly, as she felt bad for what happened, as everyone turned to look at her. "I didn't mean to get him in trouble."

"Yamagishi don't worry. It's like what Takeba and Iori stated. The blame does not fall on you," Mitsuru said calmly, as she also felt King Dedede was to blame for what happened to him. "What a rude and lazy ruler,"

"Yeah. Don't let that glutton get to you, Fuuka," Akihiko stated. "It looks like he has the same Inhale ability like Kirby from the looks of it,"

"I wonder if everyone from Dream Land can consume as much?" Aigis pondered, as she had a mental image of Dedede and Kirby, in a eating contest, trying to best each other. Koromaru barked towards her and she nodded towards the dog. "Yes. Those two have rather big appetites, though Kirby is much more friendly and gentle in comparison. Regardless, he seems to be rather strong and confident to be taking you down,"

"He got way more motivated, when he lost his Amiibo figurine and was threatened with punishment," Ken stated. "I wonder if they'll make an Amiibo of you, Minato-san?"

"Heh. I know Fuuka would definitely buy an Amiibo of Minato, isn't that right?" Junpei teased, while Fuuka blushed from hearing that. Before she could respond, Minato smirked as he hugged her warmly, and held her, as he said the following.

"She doesn't need to, when she has the real deal with her," Minato said, causing Fuuka to smile and feel better, compared to before. "Amiibos huh? I wonder if they'll be the next big collectibles,"

"Regardless, we should get ready. Let me teach you how to show that penguin, how to really swing a hammer," Shinjiro suggested as Minato nodded in response.

"Better train him how to dodge one as well Shinji. King Dedede is strong enough to pick up that huge hammer with just one hand, like how you do it for your bludgeon weapons." Akihiko said, with Shinjiro nodding.

"I guess it's your turn to train Arisato personally Shinjiro." Mitsuru said with confidence. "I know you'll do a good job,"

"Yeah! You'll be a great coach, Shinjiro-san!" Ken said, with Koromaru barking in agreement.

"You'll show Minato the ways of the hammer, won't you Shinjiro sempai?" Junpei said with a big grin.

"Shinjiro san, has a lot of experience fighting with such weapons. He will be an excellent instructor," Aigis praised.

"I bet even Shinjiro sempai could take on King Dedede with no problems." Yukari said, though she was a bit concerned for Minato, considering this was his final order opponent, and a part of her wondered if what she was saying, was really possible.

"Thanks guys. I'm not letting that glutton, get away with disrespecting us like that," Shinjiro said, as he felt his own stomach grumbling. He really wanted to eat today's lunch special as he felt famished. "I really wanted to eat something,"

"I wonder if we can turn King Dedede's appetite against him, in battle?" Fuuka mused, as she wrote down notes on the new information she learned, on her teal notebook. She felt her own stomach growl, and sighed. She could really go for some food as well. Suddenly she felt a tap on her lower back, as she turned around to see Kirby, as the little guy held three apples he had gotten from the chefs.

"Poyo!" Kirby happily exclaimed, as he gave an apple to Fuuka, Minato, and Shinjiro. Fuuka smiled as she hugged the little guy who cooed and smiled happily back.

"Thanks little guy," Minato stated with a smile. Shinjiro gave Kirby a happy smirk, and he smiled from seeing the two happy.

"Now do you see why I'm not that fond of Dedede?" said a loud familiar voice that belonged to a certain dark angel, as they all turned to another cafeteria table where Dark Pit and Pit were sitting together. "That fat penguin is so damn bipolar. He's either really nice or really mean,"

"I mean... he can be really nice," Pit mumbled back. "Depending on his mood at the very least. Hey Kirby! King Dedede and you have both worked together and he's been nice to you right?"

Kirby nodded and smiled, showing that he agreed with Pit. Dark Pit simply sighed and decided to drop the topic, but others who were also listening in, decided to comment aloud on the situation.

"Well he can be a jolly fellow. I guess his buttons got pushed the wrong way today," Lucina said, from another table, as she sat with Marth and Ike. "Isn't that right Marth and Ike?"

"I don't know about that. He can be a real jerk sometimes for no reason as well. He can be pretty bipolar," Ike said, as he recalled his times interacting with the penguin during the Brawl Tournament.

"Well he's pretty childish, lazy, and rude, but at the same time can be laid back, friendly, easygoing as well. I disagree Lucina. He is pretty bipolar sometimes even without reason," Marth said. "What do you think Kirby?"

"Poyo?" was all what Kirby just said as he looked curiously at everyone. Everyone else just sighed in response from what they just heard. Elsewhere we see King Dedede training at the gym, as he was currently bashing Sandbag with his large wooden hammer.

"I'll show them what happens when you mess with me!" Dedede angrily shouted, as he bashed and smashed at Sandbag hard, sending the living bag of sand, flying everywhere as Dedede smacked angrily at Sandbag. Soon someone just entered the room, and saw the penguin training.

"You seem to be in a bad mood today," Bowser taunted, as he saw Dedede smash at Sandbag furiously. "What's ruffled you up?"

"Huh? Oh Bowser. Good to see you. Am I really that mad?" Dedede said, as he stopped to wave at his friend. Bowser waved back, and then he looked at Sandbag that was full of hammer impressions, that Dedede left from all his hammer strikes.

"Yes you are, and that's saying something considering I get way more mad easily compared to you," Bowser said, as he knew that Dedede was way more laid back compared to him. "What's the deal? Why the rage at the moment?"

"I don't feel like talking too much about it but all I'll say is... have you been paying attention to the rumors lately?" Dedede replied as he resumed bashing Sandbag.

"Rumors?" Bowser said with curiosity. "What are you talking about?"

"The rumor about the new potential newcomer, who's a blue haired pretty boy teenager, who shoots himself in the head to summon stuff! That one?" Dedede asked, as he kept hammering Sandbag. Bowser stared blankly back at Dedede, as it sounded so ridiculous.

"No? Sounds like a suicidal Marth from that description you just gave me though," Bowser said, as he laughed at what he heard, as it sounded so absurd. "But what does a rumor have to do with you being so angry?"

"I don't want to talk about it! Anyway I need to take a break and get some rest, before my match against Rosalina during the evening. See you later," Dedede said, as the penguin king left angrily. Bowser looked at Sandbag who was still full of hammer impressions and shrugged. It was now his turn to get some training done, as he cracked his knuckles, and was prepared to punch at Sandbag for a period of time.

**To Be Continued...**

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**So thus ends Chapter 21. What did you guys think? Notes as always.  
**

**1\. So Shinjiro's counterpart is indeed King Dedede. Shinjiro uses a wide range of bludgeon like weapons in Persona 3 &amp; Persona Q, and hammers are among them. King Dedede fit the bill as he fought with a hammer, and thus was his counterpart. Plus I really like writing King Dedede, as I personally love the Kirby series a lot, and love the characters from it as well, so I was happy to incorporate him into this story.**

**2\. Who is this Chef Kawasaki that King Dedede mentioned? Chef Kawasaki is a Kirby character that shows up in certain games. He's an enemy that Kirby can defeat and Inhale for the Cook ability. Though the Chef Kawasaki mentioned was in reference to the one in the Kirby anime, who was a cook who had a restaurant, whose food and cooking cound stand to be better.**

**3\. King Dedede and the Kirby cast in general will take some aspects from the Kirby anime, that aired a long time ago, though it's mostly following the canon of the Kirby games. **

**4\. To clarify a bit on King Dedede, and why he's considered a bit "bipolar," from some of the other characters. Depending on the Kirby game, he's either antagonistic or friendly towards Kirby. Mostly friendly, especially as of late (usually he gets possessed for brainwashed to fight Kirby in some games whether they be old or new), though he can be hostile towards Kirby, of his own free will, as well in some games. Still a big lovable oaf along with Kirby as well. **

**That's pretty much it. Next time, Minato takes on King Dedede in his final order from The Master! Will he succeed? And if he does, what's in store afterwards? As always if you have anything you want to say, go for it. Otherwise I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Till next chapter!**


	22. Hammering Away

**So this is it! The final order battle! Will Minato win? What's to come in the future if he does? I hope you guys enjoy Chapter 22! First let me address two recent guest reviews I received.**

**Thank you both. I hope everyone who's reading the story is enjoying it thus far. As for CgStryker, regarding Meta Knight and Bandana Waddle Dee... you'll just have to read on, and find out!**

**Like always, if you have anything on your mind, or anything you want to speak up about, don't be afraid to do so. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter!**

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The next day came after Minato trained hard with Shinjiro. Both noticed that when they saw Sandbag at the gym, the poor bag was full of spots, that indicated that someone was possibly bashing it really hard. The two had a pretty good idea, who was bashing Sandbag earlier. They decided to ignore it for now, as Shinjiro went on how to dodge, and give swings from and with a hammer respectively. The two also made sure to go practice with all the items, that Minato has either used in the past, or now had access to with the exceptions of two sphere like items that Fuuka in the meantime did her usual research, as she tried to find out more about King Dedede as much as she could, as well as the new Halberd arena. Soon time passed as the day came to an end as Minato had received some serious training, while Fuuka had done as much research as she could. The next day, they held another meeting in their conference room, as Fuuka was prepared to start the debriefing on King Dedede and the Halberd arena.

"So since we met King Dedede... with him vacuuming our lunch in front of us yesterday, I think we can skip straight to his biography and fighting style," Shinjiro said, as he still felt annoyed that the king did that to him. Minato nodded in agreement, as it was time he found out more about his opponent on the eight and last order from The Master. Fuuka nodded as she began her briefing.

"King Dedede is the king of Dream Land, which is a region from the Planet Popstar, which is also the same world that Kirby is from. King Dedede has done both good and bad things to Dream Land during his rule of it. An example of a bad thing he once did, was that he once stole all the food from Dream Land, to have it all for himself." Fuuka explained.

"He stole all the food from his kingdom for himself?" Yukari said with an annoyed tone. "How did that end up resolving itself, Fuuka?"

"Well... Kirby decided to get all the food back for Dream Land. Kirby fought against King Dedede's minions, and then eventually confronted King Dedede himself. He bested King Dedede in battle, and got all the food back." Fuuka explained. "But he isn't always being mean like that though, from what I researched. King Dedede and Kirby have actually worked together as well. One incident in their past, Kirby was helping someone named Ribbon collect Crystal Shards that got scattered all over due to a nightmarish being called Dark Matter. King Dedede joined Kirby on his quest to recover them all and help Kirby defeat Dark Matter." Fuuka explained.

"Huh. I guess he can be a jerk or a helpful guy whenever he wants, huh?" Junpei said, as they were starting to get why King Dedede could be considered a bit "bipolar," or in this case, friendly or unfriendly. "Any other times he helped Kirby out?"

"Well in a relatively recent incident in their world, Kirby had to rescue King Dedede, as he got kidnapped by someone named Taranza," Fuuka explained. "When Kirby managed to rescue King Dedede, it turned out Taranza was working for someone named Queen Sectonia who wanted to take over Planet Popstar. Both Kirby and King Dedede worked together to defeat Queen Sectonia and saved their world," Fuuka explained.

"Kirby rescued King Dedede? What a kindhearted little hero he is," Mitsuru said with a smile, which Fuuka nodded in response, with her own smile, as she also agreed with that sentiment. "So I guess we established that King Dedede can be either be playing the villain or the hero, depending on the circumstances. I suppose we should see how he fights,"

Fuuka turned the lights off in the room, and began to play a video that showcased King Dedede's fighting style. He was shown utilizing his hammer in various ways against Sandbag. He would use it to poke forward, he would swing above, or around him. He would swing his hammer and slam it on the ground and anyone unlucky (Sandbag in this case) in the way would be hit hard. Sandbag was sent flying. Shinjiro sighed, as he had to admit, that King Dedede was pretty damn strong, and was likely to be stronger then him and Minato in terms of raw strength, when it came to swinging that large wooden hammer of his. Then they saw something that piqued all their interest. When King Dedede leaped, he then "puffed," his body, similar to how they've seen Kirby have done in the past sometimes, and it allowed him to move around the air a bit. He could puff up to four times from what they all saw.

"What's the deal with that? It's like how he and Kirby both have the Inhale ability," Ken said confused.

"Perhaps many creatures from Dream Land or Planet Popstar have such inherent abilities?" Aigis suggested.

"Not exactly. From what I researched, after King Dedede lost to Kirby the first time, he trained himself a lot, to be able to... puff himself up like Kirby, to make himself more of a viable fighter." Fuuka explained. "Though King Dedede could always Inhale though, but not every creature or person can do that from their world. Kirby and King Dedede being the only ones, from what I researched so far,"

"So King Dedede has a very good recovery then," Mitsuru noted. "He easily has one of the best recoveries among the fighters here so far. Possibly surpassing Pit and Dark Pit's recovery,"

"Yes," Fuuka said with a hint of worry. "King Dedede is a heavyweight fighter who among the heavy weights in this competition, has the best recovery. He can easily get back onto most arenas with ease. That's not even taking into account one of his special moves, which also allows him to recover along with his five jumps,"

The video then showcased King Dedede leaping from the ground and then stomping Sandbag. It was a very tall leap, and powerful sounding stomp, as a small but visible shock-wave was seen where King Dedede landed. They also all swore they saw two little stars emerge as well from the shockwave.

"What you all just saw was the Super Dedede Jump. King Dedede does a large leap, and will come crashing down on anyone or anything unlucky enough to be where he lands." Fuuka explained. "However if King Dedede decides to stop his stomp for whatever reason, he can cancel it in the air, but it will leave him vulnerable as he falls down."

"If I force him into that kind of situation, I can probably land a really good hit in on him," Minato mused, as Fuuka nodded in response. "What else does the penguin have up his red robed sleeves?"

"While we did see him Inhale, I should explain the difference it has from Kirby's version. King Dedede can't copy his opponent's abilities, if he Inhales someone. However he can spit someone or something out much farther and deals more damage with his in general," Fuuka explained, as they all saw Dedede use an Inhale on Sandbag. He spat out Sandbag, and they noted the living bag of sand, was spat pretty far.

"If he does that over the edge or nearby a pit, his opponent could be in a dire situation," Akihiko noted, as that seemed to be an effective way to knock someone out of an arena. "Any other things we should know about his fighting style Fuuka?"

"Two more things. The first is a move called the Gordo Toss," Fuuka replied. They all looked confused at her, as Aigis raised her hand.

"What is... a Gordo?" Aigis asked with a perplexed expression. They all agreed that they were clueless to what a Gordo was. This seemed to be another, this only exists in that world kind of thing, as Fuuka was about to explain.

"A Gordo is... well I'm not sure if they're living or not, based on it's appearance, but they're metallic spiky objects or creatures that exist in Kirby and King Dedede's world." Fuuka explained, as she decided to pause the video, that demonstrated Dedede's moves, to bring up an image of a Gordo. It was a round metallic creature, with purplish black metal, and had eight golden metal spikes, coming out of it's body. It's only facial feature were two big black eyes, that made it look oddly a bit cute.

"So that's a Gordo," Shinjiro noted as he could see where this next technique from Dedede was about to come from. "Let me guess... he tosses a Gordo at his opponent right?"

"Essentially. What King Dedede does is throw a Gordo and then hits it with his hammer, towards his opponent," Fuuka answered, as she then went back to the video and let it continue playing. King Dedede carefully held a Gordo by the parts of it not covered in spikes and tossed it upwards. He then smacked it towards Sandbag with his wooden hammer, knocking the sentient bag of sand. "Depending on how he hits the Gordo with his hammer, determines how the Gordo will bounce,"

Dedede made his way where Sandbag was and carefully held another Gordo in his hands, as he carefully tossed it in the air, and this time smacked it in a way, where it bounced vertically, before falling into Sandbag, and knocked the sentient bag of sand once more.

"That seems pretty useful for him," Mitsuru stated, as Dedede's Gordo Toss, seemed very useful. Getting hit by a large spiky Gordo would probably hurt a lot. Fuuka nodded in response, though she was about to divulge how to repel such an attack.

"The thing is, like how King Dedede hits the Gordo with his hammer, anyone or anything can technically hit it as well. Even back at him," Fuuka suggested. Minato pictured Dedede using a Gordo Toss towards him, and him smacking it back with his own hammer. He smirked as that seemed like a very sound strategy. "But he still has one more thing to watch out for,"

The video continued as it showed Dedede holding his hammer, as one side of the hammerhead suddenly opened up and revealed a jet engine that roared with fire and machinery. They all looked surprised as they saw Dedede slowly make his way over to Sandbag, as he had sweat appear on his face and he wore a grimacing expression as well. He then slammed the hammer into Sandbag, once again sending the bag flying.

"King Dedede's hammer is actually mechanized, when it transforms into it's Jet Hammer form. With the Jet Hammer, King Dedede can charge up the strength of his hammer's attack, to make a more devastating blow to someone or something, if he connects." Fuuka explained. "But if he fully charges it up, he'll start to take damage, so this move he doesn't use often, unless he finds a good opportunity to do so or for whatever reason,"

"So if I see him doing that, I'll just keep my distance. Then again I should be keeping my distance in general from this guy, during the fight," Minato mused. "We should go over his Final Smash, just in case a Smash Ball appears."

They all nodded. Considering the item conditions for the fight this time was unknown, anything could be possible. No fight since Minato's first order had involved the Smash Ball since then, but this one might actually have it.

"King Dedede's Final Smash is called the Dedede Burst. He gains the ability to use a really powerful long Inhale, where he'll Inhale any opponent to be in front of him, and then strike them with his hammer on fire three times. To finish it off, from one of the hammer heads, will it open up and a large bomb will be launched to explode on the opponent," Fuuka explained. Dedede broke a Smash Ball, as he glowed intensely with an aura around him. He walked in front of Sandbag and a huge vacuum like wind, surpassing his normal Inahle appeared. Sandbag was no directly in front of King Dedede, and the penguin used his hammer which was now on fire (and somehow not destroying itself nor hurting King Dedede) slammed into Sandbag with three powerful strikes. The last strike sent Sandbag upward, before King Dedede had a black bomb with a skull symbol pop out of his hammer, and made Sandbag really charred and as well as really flying far. The penguin was back to his usual self, as he twirled his hammer horizontally, and laughed with a penguin like growl out of his beak like mouth. The video then ended as she prepared the video for the Halberd.

"That looked like it really hurt," Junpei said with a nervous expression. "By this point, I shouldn't even be surprised that king managed to fit a bomb in his hammer, along with a jet engine. In Smash, anything goes,"

"Now you're getting it," Shinjiro stated, as he had to admit, that was no normal hammer that King Dedede wielded. "Still... if Minato beat all his opponents so far, he can do it one more time for this guy,"

"Good point Shinji. Anyway I guess it's time we move onto finding out what the Halberd arena is," Akihiko suggested.

They all watched Fuuka put on a video that showcased the new arena. It started in a huge hangar at a shipyard and they all noticed a huge metal airship that had a metal mask for the bow, and with a huge cannon right beneath it. It had four wings that were somewhat bat like in appearance, and a long elongated hull where various armaments were all setup on it. A cannon was seen on the front part of the ship on the bridge below and front of the pilot's room. A large white cannon that was on top of a bronze metal square structure that had another cannon. Both cannons were besides a large mechanical arm, with a metal claw at the end. Soon an alarm started blaring as the roof of the huge hanger, opened up. They all saw a long metal platform rising from the floor, as the airship began to start up. Soon the airship and the platform left the hangar as both flew above an ocean, with the sky being an evening orange and red. They noticed the platform had four jet boosters underneath it, which was what was allowing it to fly around in the air. Eventually the platform integrated into the front and top of the airship, in front of the two cannons and mechanical claw. After some time passed, either the cannon on top would fire a cannonball at the arena, or the mechanical claw would move around and strike a part of the top, or have the lower cannon try to fire a laser beam. The video ended it's showcase of the Halberd arena, as Fuuka turned the lights back on, in their conference room.

"I'm guessing the Halberd is the name of the huge airship?" Yukari questioned. Fuuka nodded in response. "Also those weapons the Halberd has on the front deck look pretty dangerous."

"Yes. It's called the Combo Cannon, and is one of the armaments of the Halberd. The top cannon will aim and fire a cannonball at any of the fighters, the bottom cannon will aim and target to fire a laser, and the mechanical arm will randomly select any fighter to strike at." Fuuka explained.

"We can use those hazards as an advantage against King Dedede," Akihiko suggested.

"Though King Dedede will most likely be familiar with this arena as well since it's from his world," Mitsuru suggested. "So be careful Arisato, if your fight reaches to being on top of the arena."

Minato nodded, while Ken was in deep thought. He raised his hand as Fuuka pointed to him, as he wanted to say something.

"What's the deal with the mask on the bow?" Ken asked. "Is that suppose to signify something?"

"Oh yeah! Since the Halberd is an airship apparently, who's the owner? Is it King Dedede's airship?" Junpei questioned.

Koromaru barked as Aigis listened and translated for the white Shiba Inu, as he had something to say as well.

"Koromaru does not think so. The design does not resemble anything similar to what we know of King Dedede. Plus King Dedede has that blue peace sign symbol, and Koromaru feels with the way King Dedede acts, he would have placed that symbol somewhere on his airship. Instead from what I've seen, I've seen a M symbol with a sword in the center shown on the Halberd." Aigis said. Fuuka had the answers, as she was ready to speak.

"Well apparently it belongs to someone named Meta Knight. Which would explain the M symbols seen on the ship at some points. A masked warrior from Kirby's world," Fuuka explained to everyone. Minato then raised his hand, as Fuuka pointed to him. "What is it Minato-kun?"

"Why do I get the feeling this Meta Knight guy is a fighter in this competition?" Minato stated. They all looked at him with a mixture of confusion and possible agreement, as they thought it over. "I don't know why. I just do. Maybe because Palutena ended up being a fighter, and she happened to have an arena that belonged to her, as well in this competition. At the very least, a recreation based off something she owned,"

"The awesome intuition off our leader huh?" Junpei teased with a smirk. "I remember that time, you saved me and Yukari during that full moon operation involving the train. When it was about to crash you just picked the right controls to stop it."

"Oh yeah! That was so long ago, but I still remember that moment," Yukari said with praise. "Well if you're intuition feels that, then maybe it's true. We can always find out somehow later,"

"Getting back on topic... we should really go over strategies for taking down King Dedede at the Halberd," Shinjiro suggested. Both Minato and Fuuka nodded in agreement. Everyone else left the room, as Minato, Fuuka, and Shinjiro decided to plan and discuss many things, to get ready for this final order from The Master.

* * *

Time passed as Minato trained significantly. While he made sure to be proficient with all his weapons, this time he practice a lot more with his hammer, as Shinjiro made sure to train him well. Fuuka made sure to research all the items they were allowed to know about, as she had some strategies in mind, to use against King Dedede if necessary. It was now September 14th and the three boarded an elevator, to confront King Dedede for their match at 3PM. Outside Smash Tower, the weather was actually cloudy, as the weather reports indicated that it would most likely rain throughout the whole week. They arrived at the teleportation room and saw that the gray wearing chairman named Ash, King Dedede, Kirby, and a Waddle Dee that wore a blue bandana were all there. Kirby held a red sign that said "**GO KING**," in red while the Waddle Dee that wore a blue bandana held a sign that said "**DEDEDE!**" in yellow, as both signs completed the cheer.

"Well we can finally begin. Are you ready Mr. Arisato and King Dedede?" Ash asked. Both nodded towards the gray wearing chairman. "Very well. Whenever you're ready, you may both step onto a teloportation pad and be taken to the Halberd arena."

"Shinjiro sempai wants to watch the fight live as well. Can he?" Fuuka asked. Ash rolled his eyes but simply nodded in response.

"Very well. He's not the only one watching live as Kirby and one of King Dedede's most loyal minions, Bandana Waddle Dee is also here to watch and cheer King Dedede on," Gray explained. The blue bandana wearing Waddle Dee waved to Minato, Fuuka, and Shinjiro. Minato and Shinjiro waved back, while Fuuka walked up to them, and asked if she could hug him. Bandana Waddle Dee nodded, and she picked him up and gave him a warm hug. Bandana Waddle Dee's eyes lit up with happiness, as he got hugged by Fuuka who was very happy to do so, while Kirby looked happy that his Waddle Dee friend got to meet Fuuka. Dedede crossed his arms and grumbled under his breath, as he saw that occur.

"I could go for a friendly hug," Dedede mumbled quietly to himself, as he then decided to raise his voice to one of his loyal minions. "Hey Bandana Dee! Quit hogging up the hugs! Escargoon be really jealous if he saw you right now,"

Fuuka put down Bandana Waddle Dee, who was blushing and went to pick up Kirby who was smiling happily as he smiled back in response. Dedede grumbled under his breath about how Kirby always getting more attention and such, compared to him. Soon Fuuka put down Kirby as she walked back nearby Minato and Shinjiro. Dedede seeing this had a mad expression on his face. He slammed his wooden hammer on the ground to get everyone's attention, as everyone looked at him either surprised or annoyed.

"Hey! Blue haired teenager! Get ready to taste the hammer soon!" Dedede taunted towards Minato. Minato merely smirked back in response as he felt confident while Ash was glad to see that Dedede was ready to fight seriously.

"Good to see you're ready. Remember what happens if you lose, as my brother Sky has informed me and the rest of us," Ash said, as Dedede gritted his teeth in response angrily, as he glared at Minato. Minato sighed as he hoped to get this over with, though he had to admit, this portly penguin was still going to be a tough fight. He also decided to get a question out of the way.

"Hey King Dedede. You know a Meta Knight?" Minato asked. Before Ash could say anything, as that was a question he did not want answered, King Dedede had steam come out of his head, as his face now looked red and he began bashing the floor with his wooden hammer in response, as he felt he was being overlooked again, for someone else from his world. "I'm going to take that as a yes,"

"King Dedede, please calm yourself. Use that anger and turn it into the red hot passion for defeating Mr. Arisato," Ash suggested. "It's something along the lines of what my fellow chairman brother, Crimson would say."

"Let's get started then!" Dedede yelled out, as he rushed towards one of the teleportation pads. Shinjrio shook hands with Minato and the two nodded towards each other. Fuuka gave Minato a warm hug and they gave each other a soft and quick peck on each others lips, before they all split. Fuuka and Shinjiro took up a teleportation pad, while Kirby and Bandana Waddle Dee got onto another one as they held their signs. Soon everyone was transported to the Halberd arena. Shinji and Fuuka stood on a revival platform and Fuuka had summoned her Persona, ready to assist Minato once more. Kirby and Bandana Waddle Dee held their signs up, as they stood up on another platform, as their way of supporting the penguin. Minato and Dedede stood on the platform that would be soon lifted into the air, as the familiar voice of the announcer returned.

"Hey folks! For all our special guests watching, this will be Minato Arisato's final match for his orders from The Master! Will he successfully smash away the powerful hammer wielding King Dedede? Or will he be the one, to be bashed away, off the Halberd? Let's find out! Three... two... one, **GO!**"

_*** King Dedede's Theme (Super Smash Bros Brawl) ***_

The hanger's ceiling immediately began to open, as an alarm began to blare. The Halberd's engine began to roar, as the platform beneath Minato and Dedede began to rise. They both simply stared each other off. Minato with a serious expression, while Dedede had an angered expression, as they both looked at each other. Their watchers watching, could all feel the tension. Shinjiro and Fuuka knew the consequences for them all if Minato lost this match and what they would gain, while Kirby and Waddle Dee knew that King Dedede didn't really want to lose, as he didn't want to go through punishment. Soon the platform and the Halberd flew off into the sky, as the platform began to move all around the Halberd, which was also moving.

Dedede immediately took out a Gordo, and performed a Gordo Toss, as he hammered it towards Minato.

"Get ready Minato!" Fuuka communicated as Minato was prepared. He took out his own hammer and hit the Gordo back. Dedede's face was one of surprise, as he quickly took the painful hit, as he was knocked down, and the Gordo then bounced off into the ocean. He quickly picked himself up and looked mad once more.

"So you got a hammer as well?" Dedede shouted, as he ran towards Minato. Minato stood his ground as he saw Dedede stop a short distance away from him. He then saw Dedede try to poke the large wooden hammer into him, which Minato quickly responded by dropping to the ground. Dedede seeing this quickly ran and attempted to body slam into Minato. Unfortunately for the king, Minato quickly rolled out of the way, as Dedede merely hit the metal platform floor. Minato responded by bashing the king in the head, with his own hammer, and quickly leaping over the angry penguin, who got up and began to bash the floor in anger.

"Alright tough guy! You're faster then me. Big deal. I can take a lot of hits. I'm a big penguin after all! Take this!" Dedede shouted as he did another Gordo Toss. Minato was ready as he held his own hammer and hit it back. Dedede however smirked as he used his hammer and hit the incoming Gordo back towards Minato. The blue haired teenager however stood his ground as he readied his hammer once more and hit it back. Dedede seeing this quickly put up his Smash shield, as the Gordo bounced off it, but not before making a rather sizable dent in it. Dedede had enough of this as he decided it was time to turn Minato into a smashed pulp. He ran up to the teenager and was ready to bring his hammer down. Minato quickly rolled past the king, while the penguin smashed down. However the king did hit something that just happened to spawn. Unfortunately, it was not the type of item you should be breaking open with a hammer.

"**ACK! BEES!**" Dedede yelled in a panic as he had just smashed open a Beehive item. He now had bees surrounding and stinging him as he danced around on his spot in a painful panic. Minato couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculous sight, as he stood on back where he started on the other end, while Dedede growled angrily. "I'll get you stung as well then!"

Dedede began to run towards Minato. Minato immediately stopped laughing and wore a serious expression on his face once more, and took out his Evoker as it was time he used it, as he pointed it towards himself and decided to summon a Persona.

"Orpheus! Agi King Dedede and the bees now!" Minato ordered. Dedede's eyes bulged out as he saw Minato perform his action, as the sound of a gunshot roared out, and the harp wielding being appeared. Orpherus strung his harp, and summoned a blast of fire, that consumed Dedede and the bees. Dedede was now charred as he coughed out black smoke, and the bees were now gone as he had an annoyed expression on his face.

"OK. You're definitely that rumored newcomer for sure," Dedede coughed out, before he shook the black soot off himself. He was beginning to realize this wasn't working out at all for him and he had to change his strategy. "Hey punk! Take this!"

Dedede took out another Gordo and Minato was prepared to defend against this. However Dedede made sure to smack the Gordo vertically, for this Gordo Toss, as it bounced on the ground, at the same spot in front of the king. Minato however kept his hammer out, in case, Dedede had something sneaky in mind. Dedede then smacked the bouncing Gordo in a way, where it slowly arced over Minato. Minato was really confused by this as he saw the Gordo, slowly flying above him till he heard Fuuka shout to him.

"Watch out!" Fuuka yelled concerned, as Minato quickly turned to face Dedede, and saw that the king was practically right in front of him. Before he could do anything, Dedede immediately grabbed the blue haired teen, with his yellow gloved mitten hand, not holding his hammer and began to headbutt Minato. Fuuka and Shinjiro cringed as they saw this occur. King Dedede then turned whacked Minato backwards with his hammer, causing the teenager to fall hard onto the floor, as King Dedede turned to face him.

"Now to really tenderize you! Personally!" Dedede taunted, as he performed a Super Dedede Jump, as he intended to crash and stomp the blue haired teenager with his feet.

"Show him the spear!" Shinjiro yelled out, which Minato heard, due to Fuuka's influence. Minato immediately took out his spear and held it upwards. Dedede seeing this, immediately stopped trying to stomp Minato, and began to comically flail his arms in the air, in a desperate attempt to move away from where Minato held his spear out. Minato smirked as he just ran to where Dedede tried to land, and got his hammer out as he slammed the king's tush, and sent the king upwards, before the king crashed back down onto the ground in pain. Dedede angrily got back up as he began to pound the ground with his hammer again, due to the frustration he felt. Soon the platform that moved around the arena, finally integrated into the Halberd.

"This is not working out as well as I thought," Dedede mumbled as he quickly looked around. Seeing how they were on top of the Halberd, he knew that the Combo Cannon could now randomly select any fighter as a target. He had hoped it would select Minato as the first random target. He then saw the mechanical arm begin to move wildly around, as it seemed to be targeting Minato, and a item spawned nearby him, that gave him an idea in mind.

"Focus on dodging the mechanical arm, Minato!" Fuuka communicated out. Minato nodded but not before King Dedede threw a Smoke Ball towards Minato's direction. Soon the boy couldn't see around him, as smoke of various colors emerged from it all. Dedede kept the pressure up, as he held another Gordo, and was now doing another Gordo Toss towards the boy's direction.

"Minato, defend yourself! King Dedede used another Gordo Toss!" Fuuka said concerned, since despite not being able to see what happen. Minato shielded, as he heard the sound of a Gordo bouncing towards him. Minato waited for the Gordo to hit his Smash shield, which caused it to bounce off into the ocean. Just as he stopped using it as he didn't want his Smash shield to break which would render him exhausted, he felt himself get was struck by the mechanical arm with its metal claw, beside the Combo Cannon. The smoke soon cleared as the Smoke Ball ran out of smoke to disperse, and Minato was on the ground clutching his body in pain.

"Serves you right!" Dedede taunted. He then rushed over to Minato and grabbed him again, headbutting him for a bit, and then he whacked him with his hammer backwards once more. This time he decided to try follow up with a body slam, as he could see how his Super Dedede Jump could backfire, like last time. Minato saw this coming, and with a pained expression, managed to roll away just as the king was about to fall on top of him. Both got up and stood as they eyed each other once more. They both then saw the top cannon on the Combo Cannon turn towards King Dedede as it began to fire.

"Drat. Guess I'll just have to toss you up, so you can take the hit for me instead!" Dedede shouted out, as he ran towards Minato, intending to grab him and throw him into the incoming cannonball. Minato took out his Evoker as he had the perfect idea in mind.

"Trumpeteer! Use Tetrakarn now!" Minato ordered, as he used his Evoker once more. The skeletal robed wearing being with a long trumpet appeared and quickly played a tune. Soon a barrier appeared in front of Minato, that Dedede crashed into, causing the king to get dizzy and dazed as he wobbled around woozily in place, as the king saw stars swirling in front of his face. Minato quickly went past the king as the upper cannon of the Combo Cannon fire a large cannonball, that soon descended and hit Dedede. Dedede flew into the air for a bit, charred all over once more, before falling into the ground, now back to his senses. The king angrily got up, as he shook the black soot off himself, and glared at Minato with a frustrated expression.

"Don't think you're winning this fight so easily King Dedede," Minato shouted seriously. Minato wore a serious expression on his face that showed he was ready to fight once more. Dedede smirked back in response.

"Pretty confident for some teenager. You're still a dumb teenager in the end! Like your girlfriend of yours. I'm not letting some blue haired teenager's girlfriend get away with getting me into trouble!" King Dedede whined, as he brought up what happened with him and his Amiibo.

"Is that so? If you don't think the blame doesn't fall on you, then you must be daft, dim, and dumb," Minato replied back. Dedede did not take this well as he bashed the floor with his hammer in response.

"**WHAT!?**" King Dedede yelled furiously. "That's it! Time for you to get blown off the Halberd!"

King Dedede ran towards Minato and stopped at the center of the arena. He then began his Inhale, as he intended to vacuum up the blue haired teenager.

"Remember the plan! Risky but it might work," Shinjiro communicated as Minato was ready. He let himself get vacuumed closer to the king, which only confused the penguin. Before Minato got sucked into Dedede's belly (he was very thankful that didn't happen), he bashed the king right on his head, with his own hammer, and quickly put on some iron knuckles, as he gave the king a quick one two, before slamming a punch that sent the king falling onto the ground in pain.

"That... really backfired." Dedede grumbled in pain, as he warily got back up. Kirby and Bandana Waddle Dee sighed, but they still held their signs up, though they wished the penguin be more respectful of his opponent and his friends. King Dedede picked himself off the floor and wondered what he should do. He then saw Minato's Evoker in a holster he wore, and wondered about it.

"I think I'll take what belongs to you, for myself!" Dedede yelled as this time, he used another Inhale, but focused it on Minato's Evoker. Fuuka and Shinjiro watching both were shocked, as that could go really bad for Minato, if he didn't have his Evoker. Minato began to run in the opposite direction as Dedede tried to get his Evoker as he now held it in front of himself. Suddenly he saw something that spawned in front of him, that gave him an idea.

"A Bob-Omb!" Fuuka said with a worried voice. This item resembled a black bomb with white eyes, a fuse, wore yellow shoes, and a golden windup key on it's back.

"Don't worry Fuuka. I have the perfect idea," Minato told her, as kept running from Dedede's Inhale, as he refused to let the king get a hold of his Evoker. The Bob-Omb eventually lit it's own fuse and began to walk towards Minato's direction. Minato with one really strong leap, managed to get over the walking explosive, despite being pulled back and soon the king had a rather explosive taste as he vacuumed it into his stomach. The king's face grimaced in pain, as black smoke leaked out of his mouth.

"I'm so glad that penguin can handle stuff like that. Anyone in our world doing something like that, the results be real messy," Shinjiro said quietly to himself. Dedede hacked up a couple of coughs as black smoke left his mouth, till it was all gone.

"How did you like your snack, King Dedede?" Minato taunted. The king looked tired and merely looked annoyed in response. He then heard an item spawn behind him that got his attention. It was a Gooey Bomb. A red bomb coated in pink goo that was very adhesive, and would get stuck on someone, if enough force was applied. He immediately grabbed it, and before Minato could react, the penguin tossed it right at the teen, and managed to stick it onto his chest, and the bomb began to pulse, signaling it's activation and eventual detonation.

"Have fun getting blown up!" Dedede shouted with glee. Minato however took the bomb off his chest and threw it right back at the king, who stared blankly at it. Dedede panicked and quickly took it off himself and threw it right back at Minato who merely did the same back to him. Dedede now had the Gooey Bomb in his hands just as it was about to blow up, and he threw it into the air as an explosion occurred.

"Geez. Talk about the deadliest game of hot potato," Dedede grumbled out annoyed. "This is getting nowhere!"

Suddenly between the two fighters spawned another item. This time it was a Deku Nut. It was a reddish brown nut, that if hit with enough force (like if someone threw it right at you) it explode with a blinding light, dazing anyone who saw the light briefly. Minato ran towards the item, as he wasn't going to let Dedede grab it. However the king had other things in mind, as he performed another Gordo Toss and slammed a Gordo, right at the Deku Nut. Minato had no time to react as he was blinded by the light, the Gordo destroying the Deku Nut caused. He found himself dazed and holding his head in pain, as it throbbed now. Dedede seeing this, quickly decided it was time to end this. He transformed his hammer into it's Jet Hammer form and slowly made his way towards Minato, intending to launch him out of the arena, for good.

"Minato!" Fuuka shouted concerned. Minato's head was still stinging, but he could see that the king was slowly, but surely approaching him, intending to finish him off. He then saw something drop behind the king, that made him unsure of what to do. Should he point it out, and would it hopefully buy him time to recompose, or would it just spell disaster for him, considering what the item was? Well it was now or never as he wearily shouted the following.

"Behind you King Dedede!" Minato managed to shout out, despite the pain his head felt. Dedede looked confused as he decided to humor the teenager, and turned around. He saw what was behind him, and stopped charging his Jet Hammer in awe. It was a large metal Golden Hammer. An item that was extremely powerful as anyone hit by it, was likely to get launched out. However it did have one significant drawback, that could potentially backfire on the user. As the king saw this, the second lower and bigger cannon on the Combo Cannon began to aim at the king, as the Combo Cannon selected Dedede as it's target this time. The king ran up to the Golden Hammer and immediately ran towards Minato eager to use it. Fuuka and Shinjiro really hoped that the Golden Hammer, was one with a major drawback, because if it wasn't, it was over for Minato. Minato however still needed time to recover as his head still throbbed.

"Time to get hammered!" Dedede yelled in glee as he swung the Golden Hammer, landed it on Minato's head and... heard a squeaking noise. Dedede's mouth went wide open in surprise and shock, as he realized what this meant. "**NO! ANYTHING BUT A GOLDEN SQUEAKY HAMMER!**"

The major drawback of the Golden Hammer item was that, some of the ones that spawned in battles were really fakes made to look like ones. The hammerhead happened to be made of really soft material that would make a squeaking sound when hitting someone. Dedede kept bashing Minato with it, hoping it be an actual Golden Hammer, and not something that just squeaked. It didn't to Minato, Fuuka, and Shinjiro's relief. While Dedede was doing this, the cannon was now aiming at the two as it was prepared to fire. Fuuka saw this and immediately warned Minato.

"Watch out!" Fuuka shouted with worry. However it was too late, as both Dedede and Minato were both blasted with a laser beam, and sent flying off the Halberd. Both were now crashing towards the ocean. The first one to hit the ocean first, would be considered "knocked out," and victory would go to the one who didn't hit it first. Dedede seeing this began to puff himself up, to delay his fall.

"Looks like I win!" Dedede taunted, as he puffed himself upwards and saw Minato falling still. Minato quickly took out his Evoker as he had one shot at this, with what he was about to do.

"Orpheus! Bash King Dedede into the ocean, now!" Minato ordered. The sound of a gunshot roared out, as he summoned the being with the harp. Orpheus immediately went above Dedede who paled at the sight of the being, and before the king could do anything, Orpheus used his harp and slammed it straight on top of the king, sending the king straight down hard. A large splash occurred as the king crashed into the ocean water, and Minato soon shortly fell into the ocean as well. Both swam up and looked at each other, as Dedede frowned while Minato smirked.

"**GAME!**" the announcer announced, while Dedede began to thrash about in the ocean water, as if he were a child who had his favorite toy taken away. Fuuka and Shinjiro sighed, and smiled with relief. Bandana Waddle Dee looked saddened but felt his pal Kirby, patting him on the back. They were all soon back in the teleportation room, as Dedede looked really down.

"Well... that's it for me. Here comes another week of Cruel Smash matches possibly," Dedede whined. Shinjiro and Fuuka walked up to the king as they both took out something for him. Shinjiro held a bento box, while Fuuka wrapped some cookies in a clear plastic wrap, tied with a teal blue ribbon. He looked confused at them, as he didn't understand what they were doing. "What's this now?"

"Here. You like food a lot, so I think you'll appreciate it," Shinjiro said as he walked up to Dedede and handed him his bento box. He wasn't the biggest fan of Dedede, but it was probably better they be on good terms with him. "I like to cook in my free time. I hope you enjoy the food,"

"I hope you feel better King Dedede. While my cooking in general is not that great, my baking skills are kind of decent, so I hope you enjoy." Fuuka said as she handed the cookies to penguin king, and gave him a warm friendly hug. Dedede smiled from what happened and gladly returned the hug.

"Thank you two. That means a lot to me actually," Dedede said calmly. He then decided to leave the room, as Bandana Waddle Dee followed with Kirby tagging along, but stopped to say one more thing. "This food better not stink. Oh well. I'm leaving for real now... and preparing for my eventual punishment. Ugh. Well later,"

The three were gone as Minato, Fuuka, and Shinjiro were left with the gray wearing chairman. The three shook hands and congratulated each other, as they had realized that Minato has finally managed to complete all eight of The Master's orders. Their celebration was cut short, as Ash started clapping very slowly without care. They turned to him, as he merely had a neutral expression on his face. Without saying a word, he took out his ink stamp while Minato took out his gray order ticket. The gray order ticket was now marked with a black Smash Bros symbol. Ash then did one more thing, they didn't expect. He handed Minato a black envelope that had a white Smash Bros seal on it. Before they could ask anymore questions, Ash promptly left the three in the room. Silence befell the three as they all stared at the envelope, wondering if they should open it now. Having enough of the silence, Shinjiro made a suggestion.

"Let's get back to the others. Let's celebrate your victory with them and... find out what's in that envelope," Shinjiro said quietly. Minato and Fuuka both nodded. They held hands together, as they slowly made their way back to their floor with Shinjiro. As this happened, the clouds outside only seemed to get darker, as the sound of thunder roared.

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**Thus Chapter 22 is over and Minato has completed all eight of his orders. Notes as always.  
**

**1\. The Halberd is a stage that appears in Super Smash Brawl, and in the Wii U version of the 4th installment. It does indeed belong to Meta Knight, another character who's also playable in the series, starting with Brawl.**

**2\. I decided to tie certain aspects of the Kirby Anime's story, into their universe. Escargoon never shows up in the games, aside from a cameo in Kirby Mass Attack for the Nintendo DS.**

**3\. If Dedede inhales certain items, he does get damaged. Any explosive item he inhales is an example of that.**

**4\. Bandana Waddle Dee is a Kirby character that shows up in certain Kirby games (Kirby Super Star Ultra, Kirby's Return to Dreamland, Kirby Triple Deluxe, and Kirby and the Rainbow Curse). What a loyal minion to King Dedede and good friend to Kirby.**

**5\. So the whole thing with Dedede's background about him stealing food, was the plot of Kirby's Dream Land for the Game Boy. Next came the whole Crystal Shards incident which is from Kirby 64, for the N64. Finally was the thing with Kirby saving King Dedede, being the plot of Kirby Triple Deluxe for the 3DS.**

**6\. The Brawl remix of King Dedede's theme plays on the Halberd in both Brawl and Smash Wii U.**

**Well that's about it for notes. ******So what now? What's going to be happening next?** You're just going to have to wait and find out. Like always, if you have anything to say, go for it. Otherwise, I hope you're enjoying the story so far. Till next chapter!**


	23. An Investigative & Velvet Perspective

**So Chapter 23 is here and it's going to be very interesting with the details it holds. First I'm going to address the three reviews I got recently.**

**First from cooking samurai, those are some interesting questions regarding Robin. What would Minato think of Robin, in regards to your questions and what they think of each other and I debated whether to have Minato meet and interact with Robin, so that is something that's a possibility in the future. Not guaranteed though.**

**For both Darklight of the 0 arcana and CgStryker who asked about Elizabeth... wow. What good timing because... well just read on in this chapter. To answer CgStrker's other questions... will Minato participate in a solo game and will Minako (or rather the Female Protagonist from Persona 3 Portable) have more of an actual role, as opposed to being mentioned in Chapter 2? For the solo game related question, that's a maybe as well, along with the mention of Minako. I could do more with her, but I'll think it over.**

**That's about it. If you have anything to say, go for it. Otherwise I hope you're all enjoying the story so far, and enjoy this chapter as well.**

* * *

Before we proceed with seeing how everything with SEES are in their current situation, let's rewind the clock to a while back and to a different location. It's now 2012 and just after the P-1 Climax incident has finished. We look at the outdoor food court section of a certain well known shopping center known as Junes, in the countryside town of Inaba. It was after the Shadow Operatives and the remaining people who were made up of a group known as the Investigation Team, worked together to end the incident. They all celebrated with a party, to help people relax after the P-1 Climax incident they just dealt with, and the Shadow Operatives left by this point. To go more into detail regarding the Investigation Team, they were a group who worked together to solve the Inaba murder mystery, and got involved in the P-1 Tournament and P-1 Climax incidents. Like the members of SEES, they also all had their own Personas, they had acquired due to circumstances, as they worked together in these incidents.

What exactly was the Inaba murder mystery? In the year of 2011, two individuals had been killed under mysterious circumstances, leaving the police force of Inaba baffled. The Investigation Team united under these circumstances as fate would bring them together for various reasons, and they ended up finding who the culprit was, and who was overall responsible for everything. It was a bumpy road as conflict and mysteries had them stumped at times, as lots of unexpected things happened along the way. Like a third person being murdered, only to be discovered to be the work of a copycat killer, or finding out a new girl in town named Marie, had a lot more to her then meets the eye, that connected with the mystery. Nonetheless, everything ended up working out fine.

It was now evening, as the sun was beginning to set, in the peaceful sky above. We see eight people together as they were all sitting at one of the benches in the area. Three boys were currently arguing with four girls, while a fourth boy was in deep thought about something. A nearby radio was playing a instrumental piece of music called "Like a Dream Comes True," as they all talked to each other. At the moment it was a friendly debate, concerning one of their members and her proclamation of what she wanted for a future career choice.

"No way Chie! You make a terrible cop!" said a boy with brownish orange hair and brown eyes. His name was Yosuke Hanamura. He wore a black buttoned uniform that was from the high school of Yasogami High. The high school of the Inaba region. Yosuke also wore a pair of red headphones around his neck, a white shirt underneath that had a red v-neck, and he wore white shoes. His father was actually manager of the Junes department store he worked at. He loved to have fun and always liked to suggest things, though things didn't always go as planned, for better or worse. He had arranged the meetings they had in Junes, usually when it came to discussing and trying to solve the Inaba murder mystery in the past. Yosuke fought with kunai as his primary weapons, and was also speedy fighter in general. He was currently arguing with a girl that he knew very well, as she proclaimed she wanted to become a cop as her future profession.

"Says you Yosuke!" replied an energetic girl, who was known to be a bit of a tomboy. She was Chie Satanoka. She had her brown hair, cut in a bowl shape, had brown eyes, wore a light green athletic jacket over over her Yasogami High uniform that had various pins on it (like a big smiley face), black skirt and black shorts underneath, white socks and black shoes. She was really into martial arts, and had a big appetite for any meat related foods. Chie fought primarily with kicking, as she had really strong legs and feet. "Right Yukiko? I can be a good cop!"

"Yeah. I don't see why Chie would be a bad cop, if she were to become one?" questioned a girl with long black hair and black eyes. She was Yukiko Amagi. She wore a red headband over her long black hair, a red sweater over her Yasogami High uniform, a black skirt, black opaque pantyhose, and black shoes. Her family ran a famous and popular Inn, in the town of Inaba. She was known to have her laughing fits as well, at the most random things, and she also had a good heart. She was kind of traditional as well, though she was known to have her sociopath moments as well. Yukiko fought with fans in combat, both tossing them and using them personally against enemies.

"Well that's because Yosuke senpai, said something along the lines of Chie, being easily distracted by meat," said another boy who was rather tough looking. He was Kanji Tatsumi. He had bleached blonde hair and grayish blue eyes, wore a blackish purple shirt with a skull symbol on it, wore his Yasogami High uniform around his shoulders, black pants with a maroon belt, and brown shoes. He was known for being pretty tough and strong, as it was said he took down a whole biker gang once. If you really get to know him though, he was actually really friendly and laid back guy. Kanji fought with anything he could grab and slam with, like a folding chair.

"You actually believe that Moronji!?" shouted another girl as she just used her insulting nickname for Kanji, as she looked annoyed at what she just heard. She was Rise Kujikawa. She had reddish brown hair in the style of two pigtails, and brown eyes. She wore the standard Yasogami High uniform that had a yellow ribbon, black skirt, black pantyhose, and black shoes. She was also an idol, and had a lot of popular fans because of that. She was very sweet, but at the same time, wasn't afraid to voice her opinions on a lot of things, even if they were rather blunt. She was a navigator like Fuuka, and had similar and different support related abilities. It wasn't until the P-1 Climax incident recently, had she been able to fight like the rest of her team, as her Persona gained the ability to do so, besides scan.

"Hey! Don't take it out on Kanji! You should be taking it out on Yosuke! He should be the one, "bearing" the burden." said a blonde haired and blue eyed guy who was known for making bear puns, as he emphasized the word bearing. He was Teddie. He wore a white blouse like shirt, that had a red rose, black pants,and brown shoes... in his current human form at least. He was more well known for wearing a bear suit, that was red, blue, and white. Teddie had a bit of a weird history with the rest of the Investigation Team, considering who and what he was, but he was still a friendly guy, as he loved being the goof, and loved trying to flirt with girls. Teddie fought with claws he would wear, fitting considering his bear like origins.

"The bear puns are never necessary Teddie," said a calm mature voice with a sigh. She was Naoto Shirogane. She wore a blue detective cap over her short blue hair, blue eyes, and wore the Yasogami High Uniform as well as a pair of black shoes. Unlike Chie, Yukiko, and Rise, she wore the uniform pants as opposed to the skirt. She was considered very mature for her age, and came from a wealthy family that were also in the detective profession. She would sometimes be mistaken for a boy, due to her androgynous appearance. She was also prone to be really embarrassed when it came to certain topics, but otherwise she kept her cool. Naoto fought with handguns, that she didn't have trouble using.

"Ugh. Let's get back on topic. Hey Yu! What's your thoughts on Chie becoming a cop one day?" Yosuke said annoyed. They all looked towards the last boy, who hasn't spoken yet. He was Yu Narukami, and was the leader of the Investigation Team. He had short bowl shaped gray hair and gray eyes. He wore the Yasogami High uniform unbuttoned, as he had a white collared shirt underneath. He wore black pants and brown shoes as well. He was very sociable as he had a lot of knowledge, courage, diligence, expression and understanding. He was a very popular individual during his time at Yasogami High, as he had to stay there during the year, the Inaba murder mystery occurred, due to his parents being busy with a business trip. He was currently visiting the town to see his friends and relatives that lived in Inaba, before heading back to the city. He was currently in deep thought, as he heard Yosuke call out to him. Yu fought with two handed swords, and was a pretty good swordsman.

"Huh? Sorry Yosuke. I wasn't really paying much attention to the conversation you guys were having at the moment," Yu replied back.

"You okay senpai? You seemed to be in pretty deep thought about something," Kanji asked concerned.

"Well... I'm not sure if it's something I should bring up at the moment," Yu replied, as he was thinking about a topic, that he was pretty sure, the others would probably be very confused by, if he told them.

"You sure? It's not like we haven't seen and experienced a lot of crazy stuff in our lives recently, so I'm pretty sure we can handle whatever is on your mind at the moment," Yosuke said to reassure Yu.

"That's right. Whatever you have to say, rest assured, we will have an open mind to listen to," Naoto stated calmly. Yu sighed as he nodded towards his friends, as he decided to bring up what was in his mind.

"I was just thinking about the Shadow Operatives. That's all," Yu replied back. They all looked back at Yu a bit confused.

"I mean... we did spend some time getting to know them during the party today, besides the fake fighting tournaments," Chie said.

"Miss them already? I know we had some good time bonding with them," Yukiko said quietly as they all shared similar feelings. "But maybe we'll run into them again one day?"

"I hope we do as well, so feel better sensei!" Teddie proclaimed. "I never got Yukari, Mitsuru, or Fuuka-chan's phone numbers."

"Like they give you their phone numbers, you perverted ass!" Yosuke said annoyed. "Well... maybe Fuuka. She's such a kind and cute sweetheart to everyone... though you definitely wouldn't deserve it!"

"Awww don't be like that Yosuke. You know they all can't resist me, and you're just jealous," Teddie mocked, while Yosuke rolled his eyes, from what he was hearing. "Though you are right that Fuu-chan is such a sweetheart to everyone."

"Well Ms. Yamagishi was very sweet and kind to us, during the party we had earlier," Naoto admitted. "I would like to socialize more with her and the others as well."

"Yeah! She's so nice! But she's also very timid. I really want to make her feel more confident and happy," Rise noted, as she liked the Shadow Operatives in general. "Fuuka, Labrys, Aigis, Ken, Koromaru, Mitsuru, Yukari, Junpei, Akihiko...all great people,"

"I'm sure we'll run into them again in the future," Chie sound with enthusiasm. "I still want to challenge Akihiko to a beef bowl eating contest,"

"That's what Yosuke senpai meant earlier. If a criminal had steak on them to distract Chie senpai-" but before Kanji could finish, Yosuke covered his mouth in an effort to make him shut up about that, as he wanted to discuss the new topic more at the moment.

"Anyway, what exactly do you have on your mind about them? I don't think it be weird to think about them, since we all just met them so recently," Yosuke asked. Yu, carefully thought over what he was about to say, as he was sure it was going to sound absurd to them.

"I don't know why but... after the party... everyone aside from Labrys we met from the Shadow Operatives... I just get the feeling we've all met them before," Yu said. Now everyone else looked really curious at what they heard.

"Meeting them all before?" Yukiko asked curiously. "But we only just met them all recently right?"

"I know but... I just get the feeling we've met them all in the past for some reason," Yu said. "Like some time in the past during the Inaba murder mystery case,"

"But... that shouldn't make any sense. We all met them during the recent incidents," Naoto replied, as she was pretty sure of that. "We've never met any of them prior to the fake fighting tournaments we got involved in. Perhaps it's a feeling that's trying to mislead you, like a red herring?"

"I suppose. It's just... I don't know how to explain it." Yu said a bit confused. "What about the rest of you? Any thoughts?"

"I'm pretty sure I remember cuties like Yukari, Aigis, Mitsuru, and Fuuka if we met them in the past though, sensei. As well as guys like Akihiko who wears bizarre outfits with that red cape of his," Teddie replied.

"Nope," Chie said. "Still I guess it be technically possible, but I really don't remember anything like this at all,"

"Hmmm... sorry. I can't recall anything like that," Rise said. "I would have loved to meet them earlier though in the past,"

"Sorry senpai. Nothing from me as well. But your intuition in the past has helped solved the case before, like that whole thing with the true mastermind of the Inaba murder mystery and all," Kanji said, as everyone else nodded in agreement. "You have a feeling for a reason, so don't drop it. Maybe it'll come back to you?"

"I suppose. That is true. Anyway let's try not to focus on it for now," Yu said. They all nodded but as they sat in silence, they all couldn't help but now think over the topic, that Yu brought up. Did they meet the Shadow Operatives besides Labrys, sometime in the past? Despite it sounding ridiculous, they were all starting to feel similarly to their leader for some reason. Like maybe... they did meet them sometime in the past? Why were they all feeling this way for some reason, all of a sudden? The more they though about it, the more they found themselves wondering if this actually happened, and if what their leader was suggesting, might have actually occurred. For now we'll leave them be, as we'll move on.

* * *

We go back to SEES as they all were in their conference room. The smiles that everyone had for a bit as they saw Minato take down King Dedede (literally as well considering Orpheus sent the penguin, straight down for a knock out, and figuratively), and were ready to greet Minato, Fuuka, and Shinjiro with, were gone as Minato showed them the black envelope and the white seal that had a Smash Bros symbol on it. They were all silent now as they all sat down, as they stared at the black envelope that was now in the middle of the long table, they all sat at. Silence filled the room, as the sounds of thunder grumbled outside. Everyone looked a bit tense as they stared at it.

"We should... find out what's inside it," Fuuka said very quietly. Minato nodded, as it was now or never. He slowly grabbed it towards him, and removed the Smash Bros seal, as he found a piece of stationary that had black Smash Bros symbol on the corners of the stationary. Minato cleared his throat as he began to read the letter for everyone to hear, as he spoke the words that the beautifully penned letter said.

"Dear Mr. Arisato. If you are reading this, then you have completed all eight of my orders. As promised, I will meet with you to discuss with you, anything you wish to be discussed. Tomorrow afternoon at 3PM, I want you along with all your companions, to meet me on a special floor within this tower. A floor that houses what is known as the Smashing Theater. Tomorrow we will have our discussion at long last. I eagerly await to speak with you, as I'm sure our discussion tomorrow shall prove potentially fruitful for you, and entertaining for me. May your future prove smashing. From The Master," Minato spoke loudly and clearly, for everyone in the room to hear. They all looked a bit surprised from what they heard.

"We're all meeting The Master tomorrow?" Junpei said in awe and nervousness, as he was pretty confident, Minato would meet with The Master alone.

"I don't think any of us was expecting that," Yukari added, as she too felt the tension in the room.

"Meeting The Master... the one behind this whole tournament and our current situation," Mitsuru stated, as she too felt the nervousness within herself.

"I wonder if he's a fighter?" Akihiko noted. Mitsuru sighed, while Akihiko noted the annoyed stare he was receiving from Shinjiro. "Relax. I'm not that nuts to fight someone I don't know anything about,"

"Good you have some sense Aki. We're not, nor do I want us to fight The Master tomorrow." Shinjiro stated. "We're just talking to the guy. I hope at least,"

"The Master... why does he want all of us present?" Aigis questioned. Koromaru barked quietly, as Aigis nodded in response from what she heard. "Koromaru says, he is also surprised he wants to see all of us as well. He primarily has business with Minato,"

"Well... regardless if he wants only Minato-san or all of us... we should all get ready regardless," Ken said.

"I wish I could feel calm," Junpei answered with a sigh. "We're essentially meeting the guy in charge of everything in this world... or every world arguably,"

"Yeah. The guy who potentially turn us into life sized trophies if Minato didn't win all eight of his orders," Yukari added with her own sigh. "We better be on our best behavior,"

"I know. Let's change the subject so we can all calm down." Ken suggested. "Did any of you see any of Junior's new drawings? He showed me drawings of the wooden airships his family uses sometimes to get around in his world,"

Everyone else nodded, as they recalled Bowser Jr. showing them drawings whenever they saw the young child. They did recall seeing such drawings, and they began discussing on Junior's recent drawings the young prince has shown to them, to try to keep their mind off tomorrow. But they all knew, that tomorrow they had to be ready for anything, as they all felt the tension stick with them.

* * *

We're going to rewind the clock once more, to check up at a certain time and place. It was now December 31st, 2014 once more, but we focus on someone else. We see a certain lady, humming to herself at a certain place where it was said, the souls of many would go to, once their bodies deceased. She had short white hair, yellow eyes, and pale skin. She wore blue gloves, blue knee length boots and black leggings, a blue attendant's hat, and finally a blue stewardess's outfit with five black lined circles outside a yellow circle. She was seen holding a book, that was compendium that she utilized. She was an extremely powerful individual.

She was quietly humming as she stood in front of a very significant place. She was Elizabeth. She was a servant of a location known as the Velvet Room. A very special location, that only those with certain privileges may enter. Currently she was off by herself, for her own reasons. As she hummed, she stared at the presence of someone she cared for. Minato in his current form at the time, as his body served as the Great Seal, to hold off a being known as Erebus. His body was currently a nude statue, crucified and bound to the large door that separated a being known as Nyx from the rest of humanity. She would come here often as she held great respect for this individual. Who taught her many things about life, the world, and such. She had just taken care of business, as Erebus was currently reforming, due to her power and strength in a separate location, as she brought her conflict with the creature to a separate location, before she vanquished it. But it was a being that wouldn't truly go away till humanity's lust for death upon themselves would go away, in their hearts. Still, she would not give up, as she wanted to save this individual.

"Veeelvet, oh velvet," Elizabeth quietly sang to herself. It was a song that reminded her of duties and past. She then felt the presence of another person soon come by. One she recognized. "Why if it isn't my brother, Theo. What brings you here, younger brother?"

"Sister. Are you alright?" asked a concerned young man. He also had white hair, yellow eyes, and pale skin. He wore black pants with blue lines running through the sides, black shoes, white gloves and a blue bellboy like hat. He also wore a black collared and long sleeved shirt underneath a blue suit, complete with a blue necktie. He was Theordore and was Elizabeth's brother. He also held his own compendium, and like Elizabeth, was also an extremely powerful individual. "Our older sister Margaret, asked me to check up on you,"

"Is that so? Tell her... I wish to be alone at the moment," Elizabeth replied. She then showed Theodore a card. A card of the arcana that represented the Fool. "I am taking a break from my own journey, to see... him,"

"I understand," Theodore responded quietly. "But our older sister also wishes to join you at the other special location you visit sometimes. She knows that during this period, this is one of the times of the year you tend to visit his grave, as the Gregorian calendar shifts into a new year."

"Very well," Elizabeth answered back quickly, surprising Theodore, based on her fast reply. "I assume you are to be accompanying me to visit that special location as well?"

"Yes. Our master has permitted such a thing," Theodore said, as Elizabeth understood who he referred to. She soon opened up her compendium, as she summoned a large blue magic circle, as she and her brother soon went through it. They were soon gone from this sea of souls, and found themselves in another location. They were in front of the Iwatodai Dormitory as it was nighttime and snow gently fell from the dark sky. They also made themselves to be unseen by anyone they didn't want to be seeing them. The two walked to the back of the dormitory in silence, as they soon met their oldest sibling.

"It is good to see you, Elizabeth," stated a very calm older women. She has platinum blonde hair, yellow eyes and pale skin. She wore a dark blue suit, reminiscent of the clothing that both Elizabeth and Theodore wore, wore black leggings, and dark blue high heels. She had a more mature aura around her, as she took her duties very seriously, though she could be playful as well. She was extremely powerful like her siblings as well and carried a book called the Le Grimoire. She was known as Margaret. "How goes your journey?"

"Admittedly, not much progress has been made," Elizabeth responded back. "But I have not allowed that to falter my fervor for completing it. I see you two wished to be with me, as I did plan on visiting this location,"

Margaret nodded back. Theodore sighed, as the three then looked upon the grave. The grave where the physical body of Minato Arisato rested. Soon they felt two presences they recognized. One belonging to a certain Aigis, and the other being Fuuka Yamagishi. They watched as both Aigis and Fuuka placed their roses and paid their respects. First Aigis did this and left Fuuka alone, as the three watched her pray in front of the site for a while. They felt the sorrow that the teal haired girl with the braid felt, as they saw tears leak from her eyes. She quietly wiped them away, and then walked away leaving the three in silence.

"That girl... she cares extremely deeply for him," Elizabeth said quietly. She remembered how herself and Minato on her final request, visited his room. She had revealed that she wanted to be more... "fulfilled," by him. However he had gently declined, as he had noted he was with someone he had already shared fulfillment with, and did not want to turn his back on that person. Elizabeth completely understood and respected him, for his choice. She considered him a true gentleman. She knew that Minato's bonds of the Priestess Arcana were extremely strong by that point in time, so she knew of who he spoke of. She however held no ill feelings towards either of them, and wished only the best for them, along with the rest of his companions.

"Yes. I recall meeting her during the incident that occurred two years ago," Theodore said, as he remembered how he had met Fuuka, and the others during that whole event, involving the red haired boy who wished for the destruction of the world. "She is a very remarkable individual,"

"Her heart is ones the world needs more of, to help cleanse away the feelings that help create that being known as Erebus," Margaret praised quietly, as both Elizabeth and Theodore nodded. "I wish her and the others the best,"

Silence fell as the three looked towards the grave in silence. Time passed as if it were nothing for them, and it was nearly midnight. Soon the three saw the remaining SEES members, all congregate near the grave, as they all offered their respects for their leader. As it neared midnight, the three Velvet Room attendants sensed that something was off.

"Something... is amiss," Elizabeth spoke in a curious but very serious tone. Before any of her siblings could respond, the grave that belonged to Minato began to shine with white light. The earth began to shake, and they all saw the SEES members began to fall to the ground in confusion and fear, as the three held their ground. Soon the white light fully emerged and consumed the SEES members, and everything else was still, as time stopped.

"What... what has happened?" Theodore questioned as he touched a snowflake that stayed still in mid air, frozen in time besides it's natural solid state. Both Elizabeth and Margaret were very concerned, as well.

"Time has stopped in this world, and the close companions of your guest, have vanished," Margaret stated, as Elizabeth walked up to the grave. She snapped her fingers, and soon the earth opened up, as a large dark blue casket laid inside. She then carefully leaped down, and despite her petite size, lifted it up with no problems. She then leaped out of the ground, and carefully placed the casket on the cold snowy ground. She was very slow and careful, as she opened the casket as she wanted to confirm a feeling she felt, from what just occurred.

"It is just as I feared... it is empty," Elizabeth said with both awe and fear, as the casket held no body that belonged to Minato. She carefully closed it, placed it back into ground beneath the gravestone, and sealed the earth back together, as if it never moved and wondered what could have happened. "This is most unusual,"

"If his body is gone... then what of his soul?" Theodore questioned. Both Elizabeth and Margaret nodded. Without another word spoken, Elizabeth made another magic circle, that the three stepped through. Soon they were back where Elizabeth and Theodore was previously. They saw that before the large door, that represented the divide between humanity and Nyx, now stood a large and powerful barrier where Minato's crucified soul stood before, as it fulfilled the same role, that his soul took on before.

"This is most peculiar," Elizabeth noted, as she wasn't sure how to feel about this. Her personal mission that she wanted to accomplish was to free Minato, from his duty. Yet... such a thing occurred, but has now disappeared along with all his companions. "I suppose this demands a thorough inquiry from myself,"

Both Theodore and Margaret agreed with her, and allowed her to inspect the new barrier that has appeared. In the mean time, they both told Elizabeth they would check on other things before checking back with her. Theodore left to go check on their master, while Margaret went to check on the guest she worked with in the past, as well as his companions, to see if something similar happened to them. The three agreed to meet at the grave site, behind the Iwatodai Dormitory to report their findings. A day had passed, despite the sky around Tatsumi Port Island, being an eternal night, with snow still frozen in time, hanging in the air. The three had reconvened with each other as they reported their findings.

"Our master has gone missing. I do not know where he has went," Theodore stated. The other two nodded, as it seemed things were worse then they thought.

"My guest and his companions... they are all missing for whatever reason, as well," Margaret noted. Theodore looked surprised, while Elizabeth went deep in thought, from what she heard. "I do not know why... they would be missing as well. This is very troubling,"

"I see. It seems we are dealing with a very powerful force, beyond what our guests have faced before." Elizabeth said calmly. "I have inspected the barrier, and it is impenetrable. I imagine Erebus would not be able to ever break such a thing. It is far beyond our own powers and abilities as well. However... one significant thing has changed since yesterday, which I believe you two should be made aware of,"

Both her siblings nodded in response, curious to see what has changed since then. They once again found themselves in that spot, and saw something very peculiar that was now there, but wasn't before. It was a pure white door, with a pure gold door handle, and at the top had the black emblem of a most peculiar symbol. It was a circle that had a smaller vertical line towards the bottom left, and a thick horizontal line slashed out. It was a simple, yet captivating symbol, despite the three not knowing what it represented. But what stood out even more was the door had eight chains wrapped around, each having a lock. Each chain and lock was of a different color. Red, blue, yellow, green, orange, cyan, purple, and finally gray.

"I had already tried to break open these chains and the locks that bind them. They do not receive any damage whatsoever. Not even a mere scratch is shown on them, due to my attacks." Elizabeth noted.

"This new door is most likely connected to what has occurred in the world," Margaret noted. "Though if we can't gain access to what it holds, we are at a disadvantage."

"Perhaps with our combined power, will we be able to break the chains that hold this door captive?" Theodore suggested. Normally Elizabeth would disagree, but seeing the current situation, she was willing to try. The three tried with all their might, but nothing ever seemed to damage, or even slightly scratch the chains and locks that held it's grip on this door.

"I can't believe I feel exhausted, due to this process," Theodore said, tiredly. "Truly a powerful force is at work here,"

"Then what shall we do?" Margaret questioned. "The world as it currently is, cannot be allowed to be like this in it's current state,"

"I suppose we can only wait. Wait to see if anything changes," Elizabeth said a bit disappointed. Time has passed, as the three tried to do what they could. Margaret suggested they try to find someone associated with her guest, known as Marie, in the town of Inaba, but have found out she too was frozen in time. The three awaited their master, who had still not returned, yet he too seemed to be gone. Seconds turned to minutes, minutes turned to hours, hours turned to days, and days turned to weeks. It wasn't until the night of February 13th had something new occurred. Elizabeth paid visit to the site, where Minato's soul, was formerly was, till she noticed something new had indeed happened. She immediately went to go find her siblings and as soon as they came by, they noticed the new change as well.

"The red lock, holding the red chains... is now unlocked?" Theodore questioned, as he wasn't sure why that happened. None of them were.

"Whatever the reason maybe, this is an opportunity to remove the red chains that hinder us from opening that door," Margaret stated calmly. Elizabeth walked up to the door, as she placed her hands on the red lock, and with ease, removed it from the red chains that it locked. The red chains then simply shattered into many pieces, as it's remains now dissipated.

"So with this, we only have seven more chains and locks left," Elizabeth mused. They all looked each other and nodded. They would wait and see if the remaining locks would unlock on their own for whatever reason. Months passed, and during some part of each month, each lock would unlock itself for whatever reasons, and they would remove the chains associated with each one. It was now September 14th as they waited for the final lock to unlock itself eventually, within this month. They were currently discussing why they weren't being effected by whatever froze time in the world.

"Was it due to our inherent power?" Theodore questioned. "Or was it an oversight by the one or ones responsible, who caused all of this to happen in the first place?"

"All our answers will soon be revealed," Margaret stated. "If I were to theorize, perhaps our close presence to each other, prevented us to be affected, when everything was changed? They say bonds are power, and the bonds we share amongst each other are very strong,"

"Perhaps. That could be a possibility-" but before Elizabeth could finish her thoughts, the three heard noise emerge from the door. They faced it, and saw that the remaining chains and lock, which were both gray colored, were shaking very violently. Soon the shaking stopped, as the lock for whatever reason, unlocked itself. The three nodded as they knew what to do. Elizabeth walked up to the door, and removed the gray lock. Soon like every other chain they witnessed, it shattered and dissipated into nothing. Now the door was able to be entered.

"Elizabeth... be careful when continuing your journey," Margaret stated. They had agreed that Elizabeth would be the one to venture in, as she had a personal stake in all of this. Margaret also insisted on Theodore coming along with Elizabeth, so they could both watch each other. "You are entering uncharted territory. Who knows what awaits you beyond this door. Please take proper caution. I shall remain watch of the Velvet Room in case our master returns,"

"Thank you Margaret," Elizabeth stated. "Come Theo. It's time for us to learn what is occurring and why,"

"Very well Elizabeth. I wish you the best as well Margaret," Theodore stated, as he bowed towards his older sister. Margaret acknowledged this, as she saw them both approach the door. Elizabeth carefully placed her hand on the golden handle, and slowly turned it open. A blinding white light, similar to the one that appeared from Minato's grave greeted them. Elizabeth walked in fearlessly with no anxiety, while Theodore followed, as he felt a tiny bit nervous. Soon the door closed and Margaret sighed. She hoped everything would work out for them.

Elizabeth and Theodore soon found themselves in front of an extremely large tower in a huge city. The weather was currently very cloudy. It was September 15th in the morning. The day after Minato had received his black envelope, though that was something that SEES would only know, and both the Velvet Room Attendants wouldn't. Tourists and natives of the city walking along the area, noticed the two looked very out of place, considering their appearance and attire, as the two stared at the tower.

"Where are we?" Theodore questioned as he saw people looking at him with weird faces. Theodore had a shy expression on his face, as people either stared, took photos, or walked faster when they saw him along with his sister. Elizabeth however had her eyes closed, as she wanted to sense their presence and soon she was able to do so. Sensing the presence of the SEES members along with... Minato. All of them being inside this tower.

"I believe this tower shall hopefully reveal the answers, to the questions we have," Elizabeth said, as she walked towards the entrance. Theodore sighed and shook his head, and wondered how this was going to play out. He soon walked after her, as the dark cloudy skies, occasionally had the sound of thunder roar among them. Today was going to be rather eventful for a lot of people, for better... or for worse.

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**So thus ends Chapter 23. Notes as always.**

**1\. So yeah. The Investigation Team from Persona 4, are now getting involved. I had always planned for them to be involved in this story, and now they are finally revealed. No, Yu is not going to be doing his own orders in this story, before anyone gets that idea. But what exactly are the roles, he and the other Investigation Team members going to be having exactly? We'll find out in the future.**

**2\. Besides the Investigation Team, Elizabeth who was hinted in Chapter 11 has finally entered the story as well properly. Elizabeth is the Velvet Room Attendant in Persona 3. She also shows up in certain other games in the series (Arena, Ultimax, Q, Persona 3 Portable). Theodore is also a Velvet Room Attendant who appears in Persona 3 Portable if you choose to play as the Female Protagonist and select him to be your Velvet Room Attendant. He also shows up in Ultimax and Q. How will they get involved as well? That also remains to be seen.**

**3\. Like a Dream Comes True is a song that plays in Persona 4 and Persona Q for cheery and upbeat scenes in those two games.**

**So that about wraps it up. As always, if you have anything you want to speak your mind about, don't be afraid to do so. Otherwise I hope you're all enjoying the story. Till next chapter!**


	24. Remembering The Labyrinths

**Chapter 24 is here at last. I'll address reviews before moving on.**

**So the three reviews I received asked if Rei &amp; Zen will be mentioned. Definitely. Will they play a role? Not really aside from flashbacks at best. Don't worry about asking too much dario. flaman. If you have a question, I'll address it to the best of my ability. **

**Darklight of the 0 arcana also asked, if I'll do a side story with the P4 cast. Like I mentioned in the past I did consider doing a similar story with the P4 cast but that's still in consideration. It is definitely something I'll bring up, when this story is eventually over. **

**To Cgstryker who asked about other characters (besides Rei and Zen who I already addressed), I dunno about Ryoji considering what happened to him and Chidori... well I haven't decided if she's alive or not yet, so not likely so far. Nanako? I guess it be easy to reference her, but I don't think she'll physically show up. The Subspace Army... well I noted in Chapter 11 that The Subspace Emissary plot didn't happen within the context of this story, so probably not. Maybe I can find some other way to reference them in the future. **

**I do have two characters in mind (who you didn't mention) but you'll have to wait and see when they'll eventually show up... sort of. You'll see. As for any other characters not frozen in time, that should be it. I could introduce more in the future possible. Things can always change, but at the same time it's not definitive.**

**That's about it. I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far. Like always, if you have something you want to say, go for it. Otherwise I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

The Smashing Theater. Normally a floor where employees or the fighters could all watch a movie, whether it be old or new, from the comfort of a modern movie theater, within the tower. It held many seats, was air conditioned, had the highest quality speakers that money could buy, along with a humongous projector screen. The Master had intended these seats today to be used, by a very special audience, he was waiting for. He was actually within the large room, yet choose to not make himself visible for many reasons. As he waited for the members of SEES to show up, he sensed the presence of two individuals he did not expect to be in this world. He could tell they were hiding themselves within this room, and making themselves not visible. The Master had no fear, and was curious to see how this was going to play out with them involved. He didn't mind having some random factors come into play. He then soon felt the presence of those he waited to see.

Minato and Fuuka, along with all the other members of SEES slowly walked into the large theater room, as it was one they have yet to been in. Junpei wanted to get some popcorn from the concession stands outside, but he decided against it, as Yukari scolded him, as this wasn't the time to be eating popcorn. He agreed, so he decided it would have to be another time, preferably with a cool movie to watch. They looked around, amazed by how nice the room looked.

"Man I really want to see some new movies in the future here, after we take care of today's stuff," Ken remarked, as he was amazed by everything he saw.

"Where's The Master though?" Fuuka asked confused. They all noted they seemed to be the only ones in the movie theater for some reason. Suddenly they all heard something, that only lowered everyone's body temperature except Minato's to a degree. It was a calm booming roaring laugh, belonging to a new voice they have never heard before, and they all had a feeling they knew who it belonged too.

"Welcome! I am... The Master. Why don't you all take a seat within this theater," spoke the voice of The Master. They all did as he said as they walked to one of the middle rows near the front and sat together. "So... Mr. Arisato... what questions do you have for me?"

"Hey wait a minute!? Where the heck are you? Why don't you show yourself!?" Junpei yelled out, as they only heard The Master's voice. The only thing they heard in response was a calm laugh once more from The Master, while Junpei cringed in response. The Master soon calmed down as he responded to Junpei.

"Not necessary at the moment Mr. Iori. All in due time though," The Master responded calmly, which only made the members of SEES even more curious as to what he looked like. "As I was saying before, Mr. Arisato... do you have any questions you want answered from me?"

"Yes. For starters... why have you selected me for this competition to join?" Minato asked calmly. The Master carefully considered his words before he responded.

"Why have I selected you to join this competition? Simple. You proved rather interesting to me in a certain way. Everything you managed to accomplish and can do, piqued my interests quite a bit," The Master stated. Akihiko raised his hand up, and they all wondered if The Master was actually looking at them. "Yes Mr. Sanada? What question do you have for me?"

"Do you pick every fighter, to be in your competition for the same reason?" Akihiko asked curiously.

"Not necessarily. For every potential candidate I consider, I look at it from a case by case basis, as my reasons can vary from selecting one fighter or another. Mr. Arisato has... piqued my interests recently and I feel has satisfied my personal criteria to be in my famous competition to become an official fighter... had he already accepted of course," The Master spoke calmly, till the end where his voice hinted at a bit of displeasure. "It is amazing you have managed to complete all eight of my orders, in a row. You would truly be a great fighter in my competition if you were to allow yourself to join Mr. Arisato,"

"Please. Spare me the praise. I only did so because you threatened to turn my friends into life sized trophies, for your own pleasure and to give me an incentive to join," Minato replied seriously back, as he looked mildly annoyed. "Going back with what you said, you sure took your time to select me. The whole incident I was involved in, began in 2009 and ended in 2010. You waited five to six years to include me in your fighting competition of yours? Not that I want to be in your fighting competition no offense, but pretty peculiar sense of timing you have,"

"How observant you are, Mr. Arisato. Yes it is true. You and all your close companions have had your main adventure in the year of 2009. 2009 was one year after I had started the third official tournament for the Super Smash Bros fighting competition. The Brawl Tournament. You see... with the first three official tournaments this competition had, all the fighters that participated in each one, were selected prior to the tournament. Starting with the latest tournament... I have decided to include more fighters as it's going on as well. So since your adventure had occurred after the Brawl Tournament started, during the year of 2009, I couldn't include you at the time. Simple as that," The Master answered with a light chuckle. Mitsuru raised her own hand as she was curious about something. "Yes what is it, Ms. Kirijo?"

"Then why didn't you include Arisato during the beginning of your current tournament? From what I understand, this tournament began during Fall 2014, which was last year," Mitsuru questioned.

"Yeah. He would have technically been... interesting in your point of view by then, wouldn't he?" Yukari added, as she felt tense talking to The Master.

"What astute observation you have Ms Kirijo and Ms. Takeba. Yes I could have technically included Mr. Arisato during the start of my latest tournament, which began last year during the Fall. But... while I did find Mr. Arisato interesting still during that point of time, he wasn't of... interest enough for me," The Master answered. They all looked really confused now, by what they just heard.

"But if you did not find him interesting enough at the time... what made him more interesting to now be included during your current tournament, at this point in time?" questioned Aigis, as it sounded so questionable. Koromaru barked very quietly and sadly, as Aigis listened as she decided to translate for the Shiba Inu. "Koromaru-san says that Minato-san... also... passed away in 2010. So I do not understand what could have occurred to make him more interesting since then,"

"Yeah. I don't get... what made Minato-san more interesting... later on," Ken said nervously. The Master laughed once more, this time more calmly before he decided to address their question, but he decided to ask a fun question before doing so. He also had a fun idea in mind, as he decided to bring in more guests into this theater very soon, to help explain what made the so called "Universal Wild Card," more interesting.

"Are any of you a fan of the current weather outside?" The Master asked. Everyone looked puzzled once more, as The Master brought that out. "With the rain pouring hard... dark clouds floating above... the sound of thunder rumbling the sense of hearing... and the flash of lightning striking the skies. Such natural beauty created by the forces of nature, isn't it?"

"Why are you bringing up the weather?" Junpei asked confused. "Also to answer your question... no not really. I don't want to get drenched with all that stuff in the sky,"

"I see. Well I shall get right to the chase then. Do you all recall... a stormy night? A typhoon during the month of September? To be exact... September 20th, during the year of 2009," The Master said. Everyone looked very confused... except Minato as he was realizing what The Master was about to bring up. He had paid the Velvet Room a visit, a couple of nights after that day and had a very peculiar conversation with Elizabeth alone in there. They discussed something that was very relevant to that date The Master just brought up.

"September 20th... 2009?" Shinjiro said, as had tried to remember that date. "It's been at least half a decade since that date. Not exactly the easiest thing to recall. Especially for someone like me, whose kind of been dead till your involvement recently,"

"Of course. Though... I'm sure one of you recalls this date for a particular reason. Isn't that right... Mr. Arisato?" The Master answered, as a spotlight opened up in the room to shine on Minato, as the other members of SEES looked at him with confused expressions. "Tell them... tell them about that date Mr. Arisato,"

"Minato?" Fuuka said quietly, as she looked concerned for her blue haired lover, as he closed his eyes and went into deep thought. He was beginning to remember what Elizabeth and him discussed. How on that night of the typhoon... he supposedly met another individual. That individual said words to him he was starting to remember as his blue eyes opened and he spoke.

"We'll meet again... some day. Those were his words, weren't they?" Minato spoke calmly and loudly. The other SEES members looked at him with confusion once more, as Minato continued to speak. "The words of a certain person I met... but can't fully recall for some reason, at the moment. I had spoken with Elizabeth a few nights after that date, as she brought it up,"

"Yes Mr. Arisato. You are starting to see the picture," The Master replied. "That memory you hold of that person... connects to a second incident you all were involved in. The rest of you may not recollect this at all, where as Mr. Arisato has some vague memory of this incident."

"What is this second incident and who is this certain person that our leader refers to?" Mitsuru asked, as they were all very confused now.

"Before I get into detailing that, let me ask all of you besides Mr. Arisato and Mr. Aragaki a question," The Master stated, which confused them all. They wondered if what The Master was about to say, was why they were all asked to be here besides Minato. "The rest of you are part of a group known as the Shadow Operatives in your world. Am I correct?"

"Why are you asking a question, you probably... no scratch that, definitely know the answer too?" Akihiko replied annoyed. "But yes. All of us, besides Minato and Shinji are part of a group that is known as the Shadow Operatives."

"How is that relevant?" Aigis asked. Koromaru barked once more as he had something he wanted to tell The Master as well. "Koromaru-san says, that not all of us are even full time members,"

"Yeah. Yukari-san and Junpei-san along with myself and Koromaru are auxiliary members of the Shadow Operatives." Ken stated, with Yukari and Junpei nodding in agreement.

"What's your game mister Master dude?" Junpei questioned, while Yukari glared at him, by the way he said that. "I mean... The Master? What's the big deal about us being Shadow Operatives?"

"My game as you put it, Mr. Iori is the following. In the year of 2012, you Shadow Operatives were involved in two incidents in the town of Inaba. Isn't that right?" The Master said. Everyone's confusion seemed to grow as the Shadow Operative members nodded, while Minato and Shinjiro recalled what the other SEES members told them.

"Yes but... why are you bringing those incidents up?" Mitsuru asked, as she was the leader of the Shadow Operatives. "I don't see how they're relevant,"

"Oh but they are Ms. Kirijo. In fact, I shall explain why. During those two incidents, everyone barring Mr. Arisato and Mr. Aragaki met with a certain group of Persona users from the Inaba region, known as the Investigation Team. Is that correct?" The Maser asked back.

"Yes. That is correct," Mitsuru answered back, though she was still unsure where The Master was going with this. "We did meet the Investigation Team. But why are you bringing them up?"

"Why? Well you'll soon find out," The Master said with a confident laugh. The sound of what sounded like very large fingers snapping occurred. Suddenly they all saw a sight that they couldn't believe. All eight of the Investigation Team members were suddenly in the room, sitting in mid-air on nothing. At least not for long. They were all shocked by what they were seeing, as they remained in silence, as they saw Yosuke speak.

"Hey Yu. I was thinking about what you were saying before and I was just thinking that maybe you were onto some...**WHAT THE HELL!?**" Yosuke said in complete surprise as he and the others suddenly realized what happened. Before anyone could say anything, all eight crashed into the theater carpet floor, and began to whine in pain. The SEES members immediately got up from their seats and rushed over to them. Junpei began to help up Yosuke, Yukari helped up Chie, Mitsuru helped up Yukiko, Akihiko helped up Kanji, Aigis helped up Naoto, both Shinjiro and Ken helped up Teddie, Fuuka helped up Rise, and finally Minato helped up Yu. Soon both teams found themselves staring at each other in complete silence. They were all staring at each other, unsure of what to say. The Investigation Team noted that they didn't really recognize Shinjiro and Minato, yet they seemed familiar for some reason. Yukiko decided to finally break the silence.

"It's the Shadow Operatives but... younger?" Yukiko said out loud, breaking the silence.

"Are we... dreaming?" Kanji questioned as he recalled an embarrassing moment from the P-1 Tournament incident, that related to how he got involved with it. Teddie walked over to Kanji and pinched his cheeks. "**OWW!** I guess we aren't then!"

"What is the meaning of this?" Naoto questioned loudly, as she found herself very confused. "What is going on?"

Soon they all heard laughter once more from The Master. For the Investigation Team, they all felt more tense then they did before, from what they just heard, as hearing a disembodied voice would do to anyone hearing it.

"Before I explain any further, why don't I let both of your groups mingle and get more reacquainted? I'll give you some significant time to familiarize yourself. To Mr. Arisato and to his companions, I suggest you get the members of the Investigation Team up to speed, with everything that has occurred to you all before I speak to you all later,"

The Master's voice was gone as everyone stared at each other. Minato and Yu stared at each other in with very curious eyes, as the two felt the other was extremely familiar. Soon the members of SEES began to explain their situation and everything they could to the Investigation Team, as best they could. What had happened to them, why they looked younger, who Minato and Shinjiro were to them, what this location was, what they had to deal with so far, and the friendly and unfriendly people that also resided in this tower, they met so far. They even told them about what really happened to Minato and Shinjiro during their group's personal incident, as they felt this was probably the time to do it. Needless to say, for the Investigation Team members, it was quite a lot to take in, as this took quite some time. After catching the Investigation Team up to speed, the Investigation Team began to say their thoughts on the situation.

"Wow. This is all completely nuts," Yosuke said. "I don't even know where to begin with this,"

"I do! I want to meet Ms. Fit! She sounds like an awesome fitness trainer!" Chie proclaimed.

"I bet she wouldn't approve of your all meat diet," Yosuke mocked. Chie began to argue with Yosuke, while Yukiko said her thoughts on the situation.

"So... Minato has completed all eight of his orders right?" Yukiko asked.

"Yes he has. Because of that, that's why we were asked to be in this movie theater at the moment," Mitsuru replied.

"But I don't get why we're all here though?" Kanji said, as he scratched his head from confusion. "What do we have to do with what's going on with you guys?

"That's what we're all trying to find out Kanji!" Teddie whined. "Don't bring up the obvious stuff."

"Shut it Ted! You didn't have to pinch me that hard before!" Kanji replied back, as both blondes began to argue with each other. Yukiko tried to break up their arguing while Naoto decided to go next with her thoughts on the situation.

"Based on what I heard so far, I say our presence here is probably connected to this second incident from the past that this... Master brought up. It sounds like it relates to what our leader was thinking about before," Naoto stated.

"What your leader was thinking about before? What do you mean?" Aigis asked.

"Well before we all appeared here, Yu was talking about how he remembered meeting you guys in the past, before the P-1 Tournament and P-1 Climax incidents happened," Yosuke explained, as by that point, he and Chie calmed down and stopped arguing.

"Yeah. We were at Junes after the party celebrating the end of the P-1 Climax incident, and Yu brought it up while we were at the food court," Chie mentioned. "We were talking about it and then suddenly we all appeared here and... well yeah,"

"I wonder what this second incident is?" Fuuka said puzzled. "I guess The Master will clarify for all of us soon,"

"Yeah. All this confusion is getting annoying." Rise said with a sigh. "By the way Fuuka-chan, great job!"

"Huh?" Fuuka replied, as she turn to look at Rise with a confused expression. "Great job on what?"

"For being such a good navigator and supporter for Minato silly!" Rise said happily. "You helped him out in all eight of his fights here, and helped him win his eight victories!"

Fuuka from hearing that had a sheepish expression on her face, while Minato pulled her into a warm hug, as his way of saying to be proud of yourself. Fuuka blushed intensely from this, while all the Investigation Team members smiled warmly at the sight, of Minato holding Fuuka like that.

"I think we all have a basic understanding on the current situation," Yu said, as Minato nodded in agreement. "The Master... if you're listening, we are all ready for a proper explanation,"

"Good to see everyone is on the same page. May everyone take their seats. You are all about to see some very familiar memories. We are in a movie theater after all," The Master answered, making the Investigation Team members aside from Yu, feel tense once more. They weren't used to this Master at all yet. They all sat in the movie theater seats, with SEES sitting in one row, and the Investigation Team sitting in front of them and the lights in the room went dark. Soon the projector screen came to life, as humorous ads that spoke about how you shouldn't use your cellphones in the movie theater came on, as well as how how you shouldn't be noisy, distracting and rude to others. Also a warning to not record the movie of course, as you can be fined if caught and such. Soon the video showed two people they were sure they never saw before yet... felt they knew.

The first person was a blonde haired girl with long wavy hair, with flower hair clips on her hair, had lime green eyes, and a yellow cardigan over a Yasogami High uniform. She had pale skin, wore brown shoes, and had a big smile as she held a corn dog on a stick, that looked like she already took a bite out of it. The second person was a young man, wore the standard Yasogami High uniform, but also with a black cape that was looking worn out, and a choker around his neck. He wore a blue wristwatch on his left wrist, had dark brown hair, had dark skin. He held a black crossbow in both his hands, as they seemed to be his weapons of choice. As they stared at the two, a sense of intense familiarity hit them all. It's like they knew them, but couldn't put it exactly how they knew them.

Soon a video soon depicted something very interesting. It showed the SEES members fighting a bunch of card like Shadows with the two mysterious individuals, as the card solider like Shadows were protecting a huge Shadow that resembled the Queen of Hearts, from the story of Alice in Wonderland, in a huge labyrinth like room that was made to resemble a setting from the story. Behind the large shadow laid a giant treasure chest that remained unopened. They all saw that the SEES members were being overwhelmed by the amount of Shadows that resembled cards, till they all saw another group of familiar faces. The Investigation Team had arrived with a certain Velvet Room Attendant that the SEES members didn't recognize. Soon they had helped out to take out the weaker Shadows, while SEES along with the two mysterious individuals took on the Queen of Hearts looking Shadow, and managed to take it out.

"Are you all starting to recall these events now?" The Master spoke, as everyone's eyes widened. The video then showed both teams along with the two mysterious individuals introducing themselves to each other, as the two mysterious individuals introduced themselves to the Investigation Team. The video ended as the lights in the theater room, went back on. "Do you both remember each other from that incident? That second individual Mr. Arisato... was Mr. Narukami. I also bet you all remember those two individuals who aren't here at the moment,"

"Rei-chan... Zen-kun... I remember now," Fuuka said very quietly, as everyone heard her soft and confused voice. They all held their heads, as the memories started to flood in, as they all finally recalled the incident involving the labyrinths, along with Rei and Zen. Both SEES and the Investigation Team finally recalled the incident, where they both met each other, and the labyrinths, and needless to say they were all feeling both extremely enlightened and confused by what they just learned.

"So we... all really did meet in the past huh?" Minato said quietly, as he turned to look at Yu who nodded back in response. "I see. That explains what Elizabeth was talking about that night,"

"But what does that incident have to do with Minato getting into this fighting tournament?" Teddie questioned, as he went into a thinking position. "I don't get the connection at all,"

"You see... I had learned... or rather recalled such an incident, during the Fall of last year during my current fighting tournament I have going on. When I was going over this event, it sparked enough interest in me to put Mr. Arisato in this tournament. His exploits with his companions in his own journey, and the incident involving the labyrinths with the other wild card from Inaba had made me deem him... interesting and worthy enough to be part of my latest tournament," The Master explained.

"So that's why you recently did everything you did this year," Fuuka said, as she and the others were starting to catch on. "It's because you remembered that incident, that Minato is now here along with all of us,"

"Yes... though he has been a very rebellious potential newcomer so far," The Master replied darkly. Everyone either cringed in fear or anger from the tone, The Master just took with them all. "I have never had someone choose to go against my wishes like this before. I am very displeased to be quite honest yet intrigued at the same time,"

"Well the truth is, if Minato doesn't want to be in your competition, he does not have to do so," Yu shouted.

"What an amusing thought. But what I desire... outweighs everything else. I currently desire for him to be a fighter in my latest fighting tournament. Nonetheless I am an individual of my word, and I shall give Mr. Arisato his right to decide for himself, with one final test," The Master said. Before anyone else said anything, they all heard someone they didn't expect to speak loudly, and to say her thoughts back to The Master.

"That's not right!" Fuuka shouted. They all turned to her, as they paid attention. "Minato is his own person! He can choose and decide his own fate! He won't give into something, without a fight. Minato, along with all of us aren't just some toys meant to be played with, for your pleasure!"

Silence befell the room as they stared at Fuuka. Her eyes tried to look confident as she tried to have an angered expression on her face, and they admired her braveness. However something very concerning happened. The Master just laughed simply. He laughed and laughed calmly, but as he laughed, they all heard what sounded like a second individual who laughed as well, but in a insanely unhinged crazed way. The Master's laugh along with this second laugh, chilled them all to the bones, as it sounded so demented. Was it The Master laughing like a lunatic as well or... was someone else besides The Master also laughing along? Soon silence befell the room once more, as the laughing ceased. Soon The Master spoke once more, as he responded to her.

"Toys... what an interesting way to speak of yourself and all your companions, Ms. Yamagishi." The Master spoke of, as the word toys resonated with him, very strongly. "Still... like I said before... what I desire, I shall do everything to make happen. But I am a fair individual so I shall hold up my end of the bargain as I decide to reveal my final test. If Mr. Arisato completes this test... then he will be free to choose his fate."

Both groups kept silent as they waited for the The Master to say something. However what they said next wasn't what they were expecting.

"However... I'm going to say this before I reveal what my final test is. Mr. Arisato... you still have the choice to voluntarily join my tournament any time, of your own accord. If you ever sign your contract that makes you an official member of my tournament. Do I make myself clear?" The Master stated. Minato nodded in response. "Excellent. Since you have completed all eight of my orders... I will allow you this opportunity. Now this is a rather simple test. On December 30th this year... the day before the last day of this current year... I challenge you to a fight,"

Everyone immediately freaked out, from what they just heard. Even Minato and Yu looked a bit concerned from what they just heard. The Master... wanted to challenge Minato to a fight? A fight that would win him his right to choose to be a part of Super Smash Bros or not?

"It is as simple as that. You defeat me, I will allow you your right to choose to join my competition or not. Lose... you will become one of my official fighters in my current tournament and that is all. No more, no less. Do I make myself clear?" The Master said. Everyone turned to face Minato as he closed his eyes, as he went into deep thought. After some time, he opened them and nodded slowly. "Excellent. For now these are the current rules, though I may or may not change them. Keep that in mind. I will inform you of any changes, if I decide to do so, Mr. Arisato. I also have eight familiar men who wish to speak to you and your companions after this, as they have more to say on the matter. But before I do so... I believe it is time for the Investigation Team to go back as they have served their purpose,"

The members of SEES along with the Investigation Team looked at each other with concerned and tense eyes. Before The Master could do anything, Elizabeth who was watching the events proceeding (keeping herself and Theodore from being seen) decided to intervene. She summoned a large magic circle that surrounded the Investigation Team and transported them outside the entrance to Smash Tower. Soon she and Theodore did the same, as they exited without them being seen at all. The Master saw this, but decided to let them do as they pleased. He was curious to see how this was going to be played out, as he potentially saw things to be more interesting with their involvement.

* * *

The Investigation Team were atop each other in a pile, as they once again crashed into the ground, but this time, on top of each other, as it rained outside. The streets were mostly empty, as most people were indoors due to the weather at the moment, as it was significantly worse compared to before. They all got off each other and stared at each other, confused once more.

"What should we do? This whole thing is... I don't even know what to say," Yukiko said, still confused in their situation. Before anyone else could respond, they all heard footsteps approach them. They turned to face towards their direction and saw two familiar individuals for some of them.

"Elizabeth? What are you doing here?" Yu said, as he recalled meeting Margaret's sister during the P-1 Tournament and P-1 Climax incidents.

"It just gets more confusing. This whole thing is so nuts! I'm going to be confused out of my mind right now!" Kanji whined, as he and others wondered why she and her brother were now here. Elizabeth decided to address Yu, as she replied.

"I can say the same. I sensed the presence of my guest and his companions when I first entered this world. I didn't expect to see my sister's guest along with all his companions here," Elizabeth replied with a smirk. "Truly fate has many surprises in store for all of us,"

"Ummm... not that we would mind talking to you and your brother to hear your side of the story to help all of us understand what's going on better, but... we should find somewhere, where it's not raining," Rise suggested, as she sounded a bit annoyed, as they all stood in the pouring rain outside.

"Yes. That is a sentiment I definitely agree with," Theodore said, as he felt his whole self, being drenched in the large rainwater that fell. "We should seek shelter before we confer our knowledge of the current situation to each other,"

"But where the heck are we? I don't recognize this place at all," Teddie said as he looked around. "Looks completely different from Inaba,"

"Of course you don't Teddie. We haven't exactly traveled much outside of Inaba for the most part," Rise said. She took a quick look around as she surveyed the tall skyscrapers all around. "It looks like... we're in New York? I remember traveling here when I was an idol on tour, though I don't think this New York is the same one from our world,"

"Looks like New York City to be precise," Naoto stated calmly. "I recall seeing such architecture when I viewed images from around the world sometimes for leisure."

"New York City? I wonder if they have a big apple for people to try?" Chie said with a smile, as she heard New York was known for such a thing.

"How can you think of food at a time like this, with all the crazy stuff that just happened to us?!" Yosuke said annoyed, while Chie sheepishly grinned in response. "Plus that's a figure of speech! They call New York City the Big Apple because... well I don't know why, but they do!"

"Anyway... we should really seek shelter guys," Yu said quickly, as he didn't want those two arguing with each other, as Chie looked ready to retort angrily. "Let's find a place for all of us to stay at, for the time being. Then we'll discuss everything we know with Elizabeth and Theodore, and they'll do the same with us,"

"But where are we going to find shelter at? I don't think any of us have enough money, to afford a hotel in New York City of all places," Kanji said concerned. Elizabeth however showed them what appeared to be a small blue purse. They looked confused at her, as she opened it up and began to pour money out of it... and it never seemed to stop coming out, at all. Soon she closed it up, as she was satisfied with their stunned expressions that resulted from that.

"I believe I have sufficient funds to last us, for a very significantly long time in this city, to pay for the service of housing for us all, for the time being," Elizabeth said, as Yosuke and Teddie began to greedily pick up the yen currency that laid on the wet floor.

"Well that's good to know. We should stop by a bank to convert that money... or rather a significant sufficient amount into US currency, and then find a hotel in the area." Naoto suggested.

"Oh! I suggest we stay at the Langham Place hotel at Fifth Avenue! I stayed there during my idol tour over in New York City... well back in our version of New York City, and it was easily the best place to stay at! Plus that awesome view of the Empire State Building which is very close by!" Rise suggested.

"I actually heard about that one, when I was researching other inns and hotels in my free time," Yukiko said. "Isn't that a five star hotel?"

"If that's the case, I say we go with the best rooms and go nuts on the room service!" Teddie suggested with a smile, before sneezing due to the rainwater making him feel very cold. They all nodded for now and decided to find a bank for Elizabeth to exchange her yen into dollars, before walking to the Langham Place, which was the hotel Rise had brought up. Once there they would book rooms for themselves, rest up, and then discuss their current situations with each other.

We go back to SEES and rewind a bit, to right after the Investigation Team disappeared from the Smashing Theater. They all looked saddened seeing their friends... the ones they finally remembered meeting for the first time during that incident with the labyrinths... gone again.

"Did you really make them all go away?" Ken said quietly. Koromaru whimpered as he really was happy to see them, but was saddened. The Master remained silent as he debated how to respond. Technically Elizabeth and her brother, made them all disappear, and she was apparently handling them at the moment. But they currently thought he made them go back to their world. He then came up with a response that was technically true.

"They are no longer in Smash Tower at the moment. That is all. I believe this is where I bid adieu for now, Mr. Arisato and company. My eight chairmen will soon speak to Mr. Arisato. May your future prove smashing," The Master said, before he began to calmly laugh once more, as his voice soon disappeared from the room. Everyone looked at each other with unsure faces, as no one was sure how to respond. Minato's eyes was closed as he was still trying to take everything that just happened. Fuuka looked extremely concerned for him, as her eyes was filled with concern. Suddenly they heard many footsteps approaching them, as eight familiar chairmen entered the room.

"Mr. Arisato... it's time we all have a special discussion," said Crimson as the SEES members all turned to look at them. The eight chairmen today... did not look happy at all, whatsoever. They also didn't look unhappy as well. They just looked stoic, as if they were trying to hide their real feelings. It was very unsettling at the moment. "Let us all proceed to our conference room to go more into detail regarding The Master's final test,"

They all quietly walked after the eight chairmen. Fuuka held onto Minato tightly, as she felt very concerned for him, and Minato did the same, as he was concerned for her and the others as well. The weather outside only seemed to get worse and worse as thunder roared louder, and lightning continued to flash.

**To Be Continued...**

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**Thus Chapter 24 is over. I hope you enjoyed and notes as always.  
**

**1\. The Master/Master Hand... in the intro of Smash Bros for the N64 you do see a white glove playing with his toys. Just a reference.**

**2\. So yes. Rei and Zen are original characters who made their debut in Persona Q. They play big roles in that game, as the plot essentially revolves around them.**

**3\. In terms of this story, Persona Q is mainly being seen from the Persona 3 Side, as you can choose between both sides, in the beginning of the game, which affects the story and the point of view you mainly go through the game in.**

**4\. Elizabeth having a purse with a never ending supply of coins, references her first date she has with the protagonist in Persona 3. So much money pouring out of it into a fountain. **

**5\. Langham Place is an actual hotel in New York City, at 5th Avenue nearby the Empire State Building. With what's essentially a never ending supply of money, the Investigation Team can definitely afford such a classy hotel to stay at, for the time being.**

**That should be it for now. If you have comments, don't be afraid to say anything. Otherwise I hope you enjoyed the chapter and the story so far. Till next chapter.**


	25. Use & Uselessness

**Chapter 25 is here. But before we get to that, I'm going to address the recent reviews as well.**

**Thank you dario! It be interesting to see Junpei seeing the reaction about both Master &amp; Crazy Hand. Yeah it definitely would have been fun to think about. I'm sure the SEES members will eventually see Master Hand &amp; Crazy Hand. **

**Addressing That Guy, what are my most and least favorite pairings for Minato and Yu? Well I think it's safe to say what my favorite pairing with Minato is with, considering this story so far. But to be honest, I really don't want to divulge my rankings otherwise at the current moment. I made sure not to really show Yu paired with any of the Investigation Team girls, for a reason, in the previous two chapters. Sorry man. However I will say, the Investigation Team will definitely play a role in the future again. I definitely have ideas planned for them for future chapters (not this one though), and they will definitely show up again at some point. They'll both be playing comic relief roles (for the most part) and to a certain extent, serious roles as well. I hope you continue reading and enjoying the story.**

**cooking samurai brought up some very good points. Yes Elizabeth will definitely learn some awkward information eventually so that will be very interesting when we get to that point. Also the point you make about Rei and Zen is also a very good point. Minato will eventually address this as I do plan that to be done eventually (though right now I have other planned chapters in mind I need to get out of the way). Fighting fate and accepting fate. Rei and Zen would definitely join if they were offered such a choice, considering their circumstances.**

**From Cgstryker, yes. Minato will be facing off against both Master Hand and Crazy Hand (I'm pretty sure someone like Minato is intense enough to handle them both). The SEES members still don't technically know about Crazy Hand yet, to keep in mind. For resurrecting other deceased characters... I could. I'll consider it. Those secret characters are not Crazy Hand and Master Core. Though I will say that considering this is based of Smash 4... well I'll it leave at that. Those two characters I referred to were Persona related characters you did not mention (though more Smash Bros characters are definitely getting involved at some point as well). Minato has definitely been doing Master Orders. It's just that Master Hand is the one picking his orders for him. **

**Well like before as always, if you want to comment on anything, don't be afraid to do so. Otherwise I hope you're enjoying the story, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

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They all rode the elevator up to the chairmen's office, as they had something they wished to speak about with Minato. Silence filled the air as no one said anything. They soon arrived at the chairmen's office, as all eight of them took their seats. Minato stepped forward from the rest of SEES, as they all stood to face the eight chairmen. The glass windows in the room, only seemed to be pattered by rain, as thunder still growled and lightning still flashed. The eight chairmen all cleared their throats, as one of them began to speak.

"Mr. Arisato... as you are aware, The Master has given you an opportunity to win your choice to be in this competition or not," Crimson the red chairman stated. "If you choose to fight him at December 30th, later this year, here are the following things you will need to be aware of,"

"First off... the arena where you will be facing off against The Master, is a special location known as Final Destination. No items will appear at all, you only will be permitted one stock in this match, and you are alone as you will not be teamed up with anyone," Azure the blue chairman stated calmly.

"Also The Master has requested that Ms. Yamagishi not be present for this fight. No advice or support this time Mr. Arisato," Jade the green chairman, said with a smirk, as Minato and Fuuka both frowned by what they just heard. "This is going to be a purely solo fight for Mr. Arisato. He will have no teammates in any form for this fight,"

"Otherwise I believe that about covers it. Also like The Master said, you can still choose to voluntarily join our fighting competition anytime, prior to that fight with him, if you choose to do so," Fuschia the purple chairman, said with an arrogant smirk. "It be unwise to challenge such a powerful being, don't you think?"

"I'm not afraid to face off against The Master," Minato said simply, as his brazen confidence slightly surprised some of the chairmen. "I have done everything so far to not be forced into this fighting competition, and I'm not about to give up now,"

"Such confidence from someone who ended up kicking the bucket so early in his life, don't you think?" Ash the gray chairman taunted. Some of the other SEES members grimaced in anger or disgust with what they just heard. "I mean who's to say you can really handle fighting The Master?"

"If you chairmen really think you can deter me from fighting The Master, you have no idea who you're dealing with," Minato said calmly. "I'm going to fight him, simple as that,"

"Fine. I hope to see The Master beat you silly then!" Sunset taunted as the orange chairmen wore a big confident smirk. "You're really going to regret this Mr. Arisato. Oh well. It'll be fun for me and my brothers to watch. Maybe we should ask the The Master to broadcast the event everywhere?"

"He's not going to lose," Fuuka said quietly, as the eight chairmen faced her. "Minato... he won't lose to him. If anyone can defeat The Master, it's Minato,"

"What positive confidence from the shy timid girlfriend of his?" Golden stated, as the attention turned to the yellow chairman. "Just because he beat something like Nyx, doesn't mean he can beat The Master with the same positive results,"

"Yeah. The Master makes everything and everyone else, pale in comparison. Nyx is mere child's play compared to The Master," Sky added, as the cyan chairman yawned. "The Master will swat down Mr. Arisato like a bothersome fly with no problem. Then again... considering how rebellious you are to The Master's demands... you might as well be a bothersome fly in his eyes,"

With that comment, all eight chairmen brothers laughed at that remark, while the members of SEES looked annoyed from hearing that. Minato rolled his eyes, as he could tell, that these eight chairmen still hated his guts at the moment.

"Is that all? If so, we'll be leaving," Minato asked. The eight chairmen all calmed down, as Crimson decided to answer the teenager.

"No. From this point as well... starting at this moment... The Master and all of us, are granting you full access to learn about all the fighters, items, and arenas in this competition. Learn and socialize to your heart's content," Crimson said. The members of SEES looked surprised from what they heard. "No point in limiting you at this point since you have nothing else really to do, till your showdown with The Master on December 30th, later this year,"

"Thanks. I'll appreciate that I suppose. Well I think it's time for me and my friends to excuse ourselves," Minato replied as he and the other members of SEES began to walk away, as they didn't want to stay in this office anymore. However before they could all leave, they heard one of the chairman say something that caught their attention.

"Of course. But we request an audience with Ms. Yamagishi alone," Azure stated calmly. They all turned around and looked confused. Fuuka in particular had a baffled expression on her face, while Minato immediately looked concerned.

"You want to talk to me... alone?" Fuuka said, in a quiet voice. The chairman all nodded, as she turned to face the other members of SEES. They all looked uneasy, as they weren't sure if this was the best course of action. Minato especially looked skeptical of the chairmen, as he sure as hell did not trust them with Fuuka alone, for a lot of reasons. "What do you want to discuss with me exactly?"

"We'll discuss it, when all your companions leave the room. Including Mr. Arisato," Jade said simply, which caused Minato to really wonder what they were all going to talk about "What we're about to discuss with you, we prefer to discuss privately and without any of your companions present at the moment,"

"I see," Fuuka replied, unsure of what to think of this new development. She looked towards her friends once more, as they were unsure of the situation. "I... I think I'll be alright. I'll be fine with whatever they have to discuss with me alone. It's fine everyone,"

"Normally I agree to let you do something alone but... not with these eight jerks. Sorry Fuuka, but I have to disagree this time," Minato said. Fuuka nodded back in response as she understood where Minato was coming from (and a part of her was happy that Minato cared that much for her). Some of the chairmen frowned, some looked angry, and some look amused from what they just heard.

"Want to play hardball eh? If you guys don't leave, then we'll force you all to leave!" Sunset taunted with a confident smirk. The SEES members all stood their ground, as they agreed with Minato on what he said, and they didn't seem intimidated at the moment. "Ha. Very well then. No more playing the nice guys for us eight! I guess it's time we bring out our personal enforcers!"

Sunset snapped his fingers, as he summoned his orange silhouette keyboard that appeared on his part of the table. He quickly typed a command, and soon near him, a spot on the table opened up, and revealed an intercom microphone. He then soon spoke into it, as he said the following words.

"Mii Fighters! Report to the chairmen's office immediately!" Sunset ordered. The SEES members looked confused, as they never heard of the Mii Fighters before and wondered what Mii even meant or stood for. Soon entered the three elite Mii Fighters, as they were wearing their usual attire, and were armed as well. Two of them were also very familiar depending on the SEES member.

"You were that women on the cruise ship!" Fuuka exclaimed, as Gunner flashed a smarmy smile towards her direction. Both Minato and Fuuka recognized her, as the one who pushed Fuuka to the ground, back on the Magnificent Melee cruise ship.

"Yep. Call me Gunner. As one of the three elites, you better not mess with us!" Gunner taunted, as they all noted the arm cannon she now wore, along with her ammunition backpack.

"You're the fighter I dueled against in the swordplay competition at Wuhu Island, aren't you?" Minato questioned as it was Sword-Fighter's turn to smirk. He took out his sword, and quickly showed off some fancy fencing, that would put most blade wielders to shame.

"Yes. Call me Sword-Fighter. Each of us elites train our own class of fighters as well that's named after us, as they serve as the main security force for Smash Tower," Sword-Fighter answered. Junpei and Mitsuru also recognized him, as they fought and lost against him in the swordplay duels at Wuhu Island.

"I suppose I should introduce myself as well. Call me Brawler. We are the Mii Fighters. Mii standing for Martial Impact Industries, which is a security company, and we are the best of the best. Don't mess with our superiors or us, unless you're ready to be smashed!" Brawler said, as he pounded his fists, to emphasize his words. "As you can see, we are loyal to our superiors and at their beck and call, whenever they need us,"

"Responsive and dutiful as always," Golden said with a smile. "Now please escort everyone but Ms. Yamagishi out of this room please."

"Yes sir!" All three Mii Fighters said in unison. However the other SEES members glared at the three Mii Fighters, who only smirked back at them. They all held their Evokers and were ready to use it on themselves. The Mii Fighters just laughed, causing the SEES members to just look concerned.

"Oh please. We're not afraid of you punks. We've all fought against way worse, besides you teenagers who summon stuff by pretending to be suicidal," Gunner said with a laugh. "Just leave this room quietly. If any of you try to play with your toy guns... we're not afraid to respond back with actual lethal force,"

Before anything could happen, Sky decided to interject as he said something that caught all their attention.

"Wait a minute everyone! While I do want Ms. Yamagishi's pals out of this room, I don't want this room necessarily getting messy as well, due to you all fighting possibly! Why don't we just discuss the matter with them listening then?" Sky said. The rest of his brothers looked at him, puzzled. "What's the big deal? As long as they all shut their traps, and let us and her talk, it's not really a big deal."

"Very well then. I suppose I rather we get this out of the way with no issues whatsoever," Azure stated. "Mii Fighters... if anyone talks, unless they are called on, then show them the exit please,"

The three Mii Fighters nodded. Minato looked mad by what he heard and was about to rush over to the chairmen, but before he could do so, both Gunner and Sword-Fighter ran to his sides and pointed their respective weapons towards him, effectively stopping him in place. Brawler walked in front of him and simply held his fists, out as a warning. Fuuka looked extremely concerned, as she didn't want the other to be hurt.

"Ms. Yamagishi... you are aware of the Assist Trophy item correct? The item that will summon someone or something to the arena, if used, and have that someone or something assist or affect the fight occurring at the moment." Jade said.

"Yes. Yes I'm aware of the Assist Trophy item," Fuuka replied as she recalled the match, that involved Minato and Mitsuru facing off against Marth and Lucina. She also recalled the times she socialized with Isabelle, Starfy, and sometimes Dillon in her free time with and without Minato and the others. "But why are you bringing that up?"

"You see Ms. Yamagishi... besides new fighters, The Master always brings in other new additions to every tournament we have. New items for the fighters to interact with, new arenas for our fighters to brawl in, and so on and so forth. This also includes new Assist Trophy assistants," Golden said with a smile. "To put it simply... what The Master wants... is for you to become one of the new Assist Trophy assistants for our current fighting tournament,"

The members of SEES all stared in shock from what they just heard at the chairmen. Fuuka in particular had a surprised expression on her face. They certainly did not expect to hear this at all.

"What? You want me to... become an Assist Trophy?" Fuuka said in confusion as she was not sure how to feel about such a thing.

"Yes. The Master wants you as a Assist Trophy in his competition. Simple as that," Ash stated, as he snapped his fingers, as a contract appeared in his hands. "You sign this contract and you become an Assist Trophy."

"But... what about my own life back home?" Fuuka said, as she wondered how exactly that would work. "I still have college and a career and... my friends to help out,"

"Yes well whenever the tournament is done or inactive, those who are here can choose to go back to resuming their lives from the world they're from," Fuchsia stated. "Of course for some people like Mr. Arisato... they don't have much of a life to go back too, so hey... whatever you choose to do,"

"Consider this an opportunity not to be passed up. After all if you choose to become an Assist Trophy... you can remain here with all the new friends you've made. You can be the helpful kind girl you want to be, to others. Finally... the biggest incentive for you to also become an Assist Trophy... is the opportunity to be with Mr. Arisato, if he were to join," Azure stated calmly. Fuuka's face was now really contemplative. Fuuka however shook her head for a no, as a fast response, confusing the eight chairmen. "How odd. Explain yourself Ms. Yamagishi,"

"While all of that sounds nice... I will always follow the path that Minato walks. The path he walks, is one where he refuses to be a part of this competition," Fuuka replied.

"So are you saying the only way you ever join, is if Mr. Arisato were to be apart of this competition?" Jade said annoyed, from what he just heard. "Truly a sheep to the end huh?"

"A sheep?" Fuuka replied confused. "What do you mean by that?"

"A follower. Can't do anything but follow the orders given to you by others or must be led throughout your existence. No wonder you were bullied and mocked in your time in high school," Fuschia stated. Fuuka cringed, while Minato and the other members of SEES looked angry upon hearing that.

"That's not true. I've done a lot of things on my own time," Fuuka replied, trying to defend herself. However they all heard Sunset laugh, at what she just said, as the orange wearing chairman began to bang on the table.

"Oh man! What a good one! Like cooking right? Didn't you subject Mr. Arisato to your lousy cooking, all because you wanted to become a better lady, as cooking is considered a feminine hobby? You're just a follower of society. A lousy cook to boot as well," Sunset taunted. Fuuka however shook her head, as Sunset smirked towards her. "Looks like the little priestess has some courage today. What is it?"

"I... I learned from that experience that I don't have to do things like cooking, and can be more comfortable with who I am and my own personal interests," Fuuka said as Minato nodded. "I'm not the same person as I was years ago."

"That's funny. You look the same to me," Sky said with a yawn, as the SEES members were technically still in their physical bodies from 2009. "Since you look the same, I bet you're still a weak wimp like before still,"

Minato's face began to contort into anger, as he glared at the chairmen, while the other SEES members had frustrated expressions on their faces. Fuuka tried to keep up being brave, but she had to admit, it hurt being called such a thing.

"Basically to put it bluntly... passing up this chance to become an Assist Trophy for the current Smash Bros fighting tournament, would effectively render you... useless," Ash stated. Fuuka now flinched as that word was said. That one word that really stung her, as everyone saw her flinch from hearing that. Minato's eyes were now even more frustrated, as he began to grit his teeth in anger.

"I'm... not," Fuuka replied quietly, as her voice shook a bit. The chairmen all shook their heads as they disagreed.

"You are. Ms. Kirijo filled the role you had before you came along. They technically didn't even need you. Before you say anything about that night they rescued you... regarding those two powerful Shadows that you assisted them to defeat, I'm confident that they could have taken out those Shadows or handled the situation without you," Crimson stated while Minato really wanted to comment. "Say Mr. Arisato... you look like you want to say something. What do you have on your mind?"

"You eight have no idea what you're talking about. Fuuka was the one who helped find the remaining Arcana Shadows that appeared on every full moon. She helped us defeat the guardians inside Tartarus and the Shadows in general," Minato yelled angrily.

"Feeling feisty huh? Then again I suppose I react similarly if someone told me the harsh truth about someone I cared about," Fuchsia taunted. Minato looked ready to fight as he now gripped his Evoker even tighter, but this caused both Gunner and Sword-Fighter to draw their weapons closer to the blue haired teenager.

"Tsk tsk. Ms. Kirijo could have performed such tasks, even if her scanning abilities aren't on the same level as Ms. Yamagishi and her abilities would have been sufficient enough. Also keep in mind she's part of the Kirijo Group. A company that had made technology that could function within the Dark Hour. The previous Arcana Shadows that appeared on the Full Moons in the months of April and May in 2009, were found without Ms. Yamagishi's assistance. Isn't that right Ms. Kirijo?" Azure stated. Mitsuru looked angry as she refused to answer. "They say silence is compliance and consent,"

"Also... we are all aware that Ms. Yamagishi can't fight at all. A non combative role. Truly a waste of space as a member of SEES," Jade said with an annoyed smirk. Fuuka tried to keep her confidence up, but it was getting harder and harder to do so, as she was hearing all of this. "In life, might makes right. The winners in life are the ones who have the power to do so. You... you aren't even regarded by your own parents. I guess they must have wished you were never born,"

Fuuka really flinched, as her facial expression showed hesitation as she was silenced. Minato was so close to taking out his Evoker, as the words he heard, only continued to upset him and the others, more and more. Yukari and Junpei looked ready to fight, while Mitsuru, Akihiko, and Shinjiro looked extremely displeased, and Ken along with Aigis looked saddened. Koromaru began to growl quietly, as he bared his fangs at the chairmen.

"The truth hurts huh?" Sunset said. "I mean it's pretty damn evident within the context of this competition even. Ms. Takeba, Ms. Kirijo, Aigis, and even a child like Mr. Amada has proven to able to fight alongside Mr. Arisato. What can you do besides give advice and vocal support? Which by the way is anything that anyone else can easily also do?"

Fuuka was now staring at the floor as her head hung low. She didn't want to hear what they were saying at all. She closed her eyes, and she tried to imagine herself with Minato in a peaceful flower field. Just resting beside each other, smiling and being in peace. The silence was broken as all eight chairmen slammed their fists onto the wooden table, to get her attention.

"Trying to ignore what we're saying, won't make it any less true you useless little girl," Ash stated bluntly. Yukari angrily raised her hands as the gray chairman, allowed her to speak. "Yes Ms. Takeba?"

"If Fuuka was really useless, why would The Master even bother having her as an Assist Trophy? Why don't you actually be polite, you eight jerks!" Yukari yelled out angrily, as she wasn't going to let them get away with saying such terrible things to her. The chairmen all laughed in response, as they didn't take what Yukari said seriously.

"Please. The Master doesn't always put in something or someone in this tournament for being useful. It's always a case by case basis. For example... Starfy is a very paltry assistant, as all he does is spin weakly, and that's not even counting the fact, he can be knocked out very easily of any arena yet he is an Assist Trophy despite of that. He probably felt pity for Ms. Yamagishi and wanted to give her some worth in her life," Sunset taunted. Fuuka closed her eyes once more as she didn't want to hear this anymore.

"Denying The Master's offer is a very negative move Ms. Yamagishi. We seriously ask you to reconsider," Golden said darkly. "After all... you proved to be more of a detriment to your own team if anything,"

"What!? You better explain that bullshit you just said!" Junpei said furiously. Brawler glared at Junpei, as his fists were both balled up, but the chairmen signaled to the Mii Fighters, not to do anything.

"I'm sure you're all aware of an individual known as Takaya Sakaki," Crimson said with a smirk. All the SEES members were surprised that the deceased leader of Strega was being brought up. "During his personal plight during that year of 2009, he at some point planned to dispose of your navigator. Mr. Amada and Mr. Aragaki should recall him saying such things as he fired upon those two,"

Both Ken and Shinjiro looked angry from what they just heard. They weren't sure why they were bringing that moment up, but they sure as hell were not happy. Everyone looked very displeased. Fuuka looked like she was on the verge of tears, as she didn't want such a unhappy memory brought up.

"If Ms. Yamagishi... were to have been present among them when... Mr. Amada and Mr. Aragaki had their little... moment with Takaya, then things would have turned out very differently. After all... her life would have definitely been worth sacrificing for Mr. Aragaki's, considering her worth," Azure stated.

"Shut the hell up!" Shinjiro yelled loudly, as he and Ken looked so ready to use their Evokers. The Mii Fighters were once again signaled not to do anything, as the chairmen were curious to hear what Shinjiro had to say. "I don't think you suits remember that I was going to be kicking the bucket anyway, due to all those drugs I was taking, to suppress my Persona at the time. Fuuka's sure as hell a lot more useful, then a dumbass like myself, who should have handled things better at the time,"

"We are fully aware of that. We're just saying you still have more worth regardless. I bet you would have survived till Mr. Arisato's demise during your school's graduation in 2010," Fuchsia stated. "Before any of you say, you don't know that for sure, I have the perfect evidence to showcase otherwise,"

Fuchsia had a purple keyboard silhouette appear in front of his table. He quickly typed some commands. The lights in the room went off, which only seemed to showcase the lightning that flashed outside, and the gray skies outside. Soon a projector screen came down and a video started. It showed what appeared to be Gekkoukan High's rooftop, as a girl with reddish brown hair in a high ponytail, wearing a Gekkoukan High uniform and red eyes was seen. She was seen being held by Shinjiro as he talked to her. This scene seemed very familiar yet different as both Fuuka and Minato looked extremely surprised by what they saw. It reminded them of that painful day where they would both depart from each other.

"That girl you see... she is Mr. Arisato's counterpart in an alternate universe that parallel yours. We mentioned her a long time ago. As you can see... Mr. Aragaki is still live and well. Though that's not due to Ms. Yamagishi being sacrificed for him admittedly. But the main point is, that it shows he could have survived till that moment. It probably would have been better if Takaya managed to kill her, so Mr. Aragaki wouldn't even be needed to be revived," Crimson said. The video ended but the lights stayed off. Everyone turned to Fuuka as her eyes was closed now. She was trying really hard to not cry, as her confidence by this point was practically gone.

"Let's make this clear to you Ms. Yamagishi. You would be a useless fool if you didn't choose to become an Assist Trophy. Do you accept?" Ash stated. Fuuka turned to stare at them, and surprisingly to their surprise, she shook her head for a no, though she did so in a very sad and tired manner. "I see. Alright then. You're clearly distraught about what we said. Let's test to see if you're actually useful. Brawler... show Ms. Yamagishi one of your powerful punches!"

Everyone was extremely surprised by what they just heard. Brawler nodded, and walked up to Fuuka and grabbed her, by her teal blue turtleneck with his left gloved yellow hand, as her eyes widened. He then faced the SEES members who looked to be in shock, while Minato was now at his boiling point. Brawler then slowly raised his right arm, as he slowly readied to punch her. Minato having enough of this, ran as both Gunner and Sword-Fighter attacked the spot he was just at, barely hitting him, as his speed was enough to avoid them. He then pushed Fuuka out of the way, right before Brawler could punch. However... what Fuuka saw, just shattered her. Minato had a hard punch slam into his face, knocking him to the ground, and was now bruised heavily. Minato's lips also had some blood drip out, as he laid on the ground, grimacing in pain as he tried to smile for Fuuka.

"I... let that happen," Fuuka said with a whisper, everyone heard as she suddenly dropped down to the floor, as her eyes went blank, as her mind was starting to go a bit unstable. "That should have been me. I got you hurt like that... Minato-kun... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I am useless,"

"No you're not!" Minato yelled, as he disagreed with that entirely. Sword-Fighter ran to where he was and pointed his blade at him, while Gunner kept her gun arm raised at the remaining SEES members.

"Brawler... you still need to rough her up," Crimson said angrily as Brawler nodded. The red wearing chairman quickly looked around the room and noticed their bookshelf they had in the corner of that room. "Why don't you toss her into that bookshelf?"

Brawler immediately ran towards Fuuka and grabbed her by her turtleneck once more. Without any hesitation, he threw her hard towards a bookshelf, in a corner of the room, as she slammed into it. Books fell on top of her, as her eyes now laid close as she was knocked out, as tears streamed out. It wasn't the physical pain... it was seeing Minato hurt like that, when she could have been his shield for once, that caused her to be very distressed and her mind to begin to be in severe disorder. Everyone soon heard her body begin to breathe raggedly as SEES were extremely distraught right now, by what just happened.

"Sounds like her anemia is kicking in. You better take her to the floors that house our hospital in Smash Tower, Mr. Arisato. Wouldn't want The Master's new potential Assist Trophy going to waste," Crimson said darkly with a smirk. Minato quickly got up from the floor as he rushed over to Fuuka, as Sword-Fighter stopped wielding his sword at Minato's direction. Minato began to dig her out of the numerous books on top of her. He soon gently picked her up and saw some blood, begin to leak out of her head, as her mouth began to breathe erratically, as her body seemed to be in pain. He quickly turned to face the chairmen and screamed with all his fury, a threat no one in the room, would be forgetting anytime soon.

"I swear on my life... if Fuuka is... if Fuuka's gone because of what just happened... **I'LL BRING DOWN THIS WHOLE GODDAMN TOWER ON YOU EIGHT CHAIRMEN AND YOU THREE BODYGUARDS!**" Minato roared out in pure fury, as he ran out of the office with the rest of SEES following him in pursuit. The chairmen all smirked while the Mii Fighters asked if they should pursue them.

"No. Mr. Arisato needs to be taught a lesson, for denying The Master's wishes so far," Jade said darkly. "Let him reflect on this moment. Maybe this will motivate him to join sooner then when The Master inevitably thrashes him,"

* * *

Minato ran down the stairs. He couldn't wait for the elevator. He ran as fast as his legs would carry him as the rest of SEES tried their best to run after him, as he headed for the floor that held the hospital. He continued to run faster as he heard her body begin to breathe more erratically. He began to recall the past. The past when he first held Fuuka like this after the fight with the Emperor and Empress Arcana Shadows. He recalled how her body seemed so exhausted, and her face contorted in pain, as her eyes were closed. He recalled how he promised himself, he would never let this ever happen again to her. Yet here he was now, as he held Fuuka, who was in an even worse pain then before. Minato began to have tears come out of his own eyes. He wouldn't let the person most precious to him, suffer this fate. He absolutely refused.

We go back to the past briefly as we see Minato running down the streets of Tatsumi Port Island with Fuuka in his arms. He ran and ran, and didn't let his tiredness interfere. This girl he met... the one he met during his school year so far and had shared some moments with before... the one he felt at peace with, unlike anyone else he ever met. He felt so compelled to make sure everything would be fine with her. Junpei and Akihiko were right behind carrying Natsuki, while Yukari and Mitsuru ran after them all. Soon they arrived at a medical clinic he was familiar with, as it was where Akihiko was staying at prior to his recent recovery. He arrived and soon the employees inside, found a separate room for each one, as Mitsuru had some connections and influence due to the Kirijo Group's influence. Soon the five were waiting in the lobby, as they decided to wait and see if both of them would really be alright. Doctors soon entered the lobby and said the two would be free to visit. Minato said he would like to visit Fuuka alone, which the others allowed him to do, as they decided to visit Natsuki and see how she was holding up, and to discuss the current incident.

Minato entered the room that Fuuka was in. She was now wearing a teal blue hospital gown, that was over her petite body, as white blankets and sheets covered her to keep her warm, as she laid still. Minato took a seat nearby her and just found himself staring at her. He once again felt so at peace, as Fuuka's presence just seemed to exude gentleness and harmony. From outside the room, the others were now watching him as they wanted to check up on him, and were careful not to make a sound.

"Should we really be watching them like this?" Mitsuru whispered curiously, though she admired how Minato actually seemed to be caring about someone, as opposed to being apathetic.

"Come on Mitsuru. It's good to see our leader actually care about someone else for once," Akihiko whispered back, as they continued to watch. Minato then placed his right hand, very slowly and carefully on her soft teal blue hair, and began to gently caress it. He was careful not to harm her, as he went about this action, very delicately. Yukari and Junpei couldn't help but smile massively.

"Aww. The way he cares for Fuuka," Yukari whispered very quietly, impressed by Minato at the moment. "Minato and Fuuka-chan... I wonder if..."

"Yeah. I know what you mean Yuka-tan. Minato and Fuuka... I wonder if they'll become...something more," Junpei whispered, back as they continued to watch Minato gently caress Fuuka's hair. They soon decided to go back to Natsuki's room, to check up on her. Minato continued to caress Fuuka's teal blue hair. Eventually a doctor came in and informed him that he had to go as they had to check up on her. He nodded as the doctor left. He looked at Fuuka sleeping and for some reason, felt very tempted to go leave a kiss on her forehead. He shook his head as he realized that probably wouldn't be too appropriate. As he left the room, he heard Fuuka whisper very something quietly, that caught his attention.

"Minato-kun..." Fuuka whispered very quietly. Minato turned around to see Fuuka. Her eyes were still closed, but her mouth formed a very small and gentle smile. Minato felt his heart being touched very seriously. He smiled as he quietly left the room, as he eagerly awaited for her to recover, ready to see her more in the future hopefully.

* * *

We go back to the present. We see a middle aged man wearing a white lab coat, black pants, a red tie, a head mirror with a black band, a black stethoscope around his neck and brown shoes pacing about. He had brown hair, blue eyes, and a big black mustache. He was seen pacing around a hospital lobby room. He was a really famous individual known as Mario. Right now he was dressed up as a doctor, as he volunteered at Smash Tower's hospital in certain days. He sighed as nobody came in. Not that he necessarily want someone to be sick or injured but his brother Luigi wanted to play some sports with him at the sports courts today, but he had volunteered to help out in Smash Tower's hospital today. He and Luigi were suppose to be playing doubles tennis against two other fighters known as Fox and Falco, but today was one of those days, he would volunteer on. Mario was more known for wearing red and blue attire, that he would have normally worn had he hadn't volunteered today. He was considering punching out, and letting the doctors, nurses and other employees who already worked here, take over for him, till two people he had never seen before, surprised him as they entered.

"**MAMA MIA!**" Mario yelled out in panic and surprise, as he saw a very emotionally distressed Minato, holding Fuuka as her head still leaked blood.

"Doctor! I need her to be treated immediately!" Minato yelled out. Mario nodded as he immediately called for nurses and said for them to have a stretcher. Two nurses appeared as they held out a stretcher and rushed over to Minato. Minato carefully placed Fuuka on the stretcher, and the nurses carefully secured her on. They then rushed away with her, as Mario followed them. Minato was about to follow, till he heard the others call for him.

"Wait up Minato!" Yukari shouted, as the other SEES members finally caught up, all out of breath. Junpei looked ready to faint himself, as he began to breathe heavily. They were all out of breath and tired, except Aigis considering she didn't have organic lungs. Koromaru began to pant, as the Shiba Inu was very tired as well. "Where's Fuuka?"

Minato pointed down towards the hallway, as they saw Fuuka in the stretcher, being wheeled away to a room, with the two nurses and the mustached doctor that Minato encountered. Yukari sighed as they all remained silent. She then had an angry expression on her face.

"What those bullies did to Fuuka today... I'll never forgive them. Those chairmen and those three Mii Fighter bodyguard jerks," Yukari said angrily.

"Yeah! Just because those guys along with their boss, are in charge, doesn't mean they can act out of line like that," Junpei added.

"Today... could have went a lot better," Akihiko said with a sigh. He didn't like what just happened in that conference room at all, with the chairmen.

"As much as I would like to discuss all the new developments we have learned today... our top priority is to hope for Yamagishi's recovery," Mitsuru said in a depressed tone. "I feel extremely troubled by what those chairmen were saying about her.

"Fuuka... useless. What a bunch of crap those chairmen were saying," Shinjiro said angrily. "Those chairmen can shove those ass kissing Mii Fighter bodyguards into their-"

"I have faith Fuuka will recover. I hope she does," Aigis stated sadly, as she said her thoughts. She just realized she interrupted Shinjiro, as she signaled him to keep talking, but he just sighed, as everyone had a good idea of how he was going to end that sentence.

"Hey Minato buddy... you didn't actually mean that whole bring down the whole tower thing right?" Junpei asked. Minato however didn't respond as his eyes still looked very frustrated. "I see... umm well if you ever do such a thing, make sure you let us and everyone besides those eight chairmen and three bodyguards know way in advance,"

"Junpei..." Minato said with a sigh. "I was just... angry. I just need some silence right now," Minato replied, as he still looked extremely distraught. Junpei nodded in response, while Ken said something next.

"Fuuka-san... please get better," Ken said, as Koromaru whimpered from what he heard, as the Shiba Inu was saddened by what happened. Minato's expression dropped to one of extreme sadness and frustration. They all just sighed. They can only hope for the best at the moment. They all decided to sit in the lobby as they waited for a chance to be able to see her. They were her friends, and they certainly didn't consider her useless. Not now, not ever.

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**Thus Chapter 25 has come to a close. Notes as always.**

**1\. Mario and Dr. Mario are the same person. I'm not counting them as separate entities. Same for other characters like Samus and Zero Suit Samus, and Zelda and Sheik.**

**2\. That was my way of referencing the Female Protagonist of Persona 3 Portable (also known as Minako). In Persona 3 Portable, if you play as the Female Protagonist, you can romance certain characters, and among them is Shinjiro. If you fulfill the right conditions, Shinjiro survives his encounter against Takaya, and will come see the Female Protagonist on the rooftop of Gekkoukan as she's passing away. Like how you can do the same with Minato but with the female SEES members besides Aigis.**

**3\. Fuuka's parents really don't care for her. Both the games and the 2nd movie kind of highlight this point. **

**4\. Takaya wanted to take down SEES's navigator in Persona 3. It didn't end up working out due to circumstances involving Ken and Shinjiro but Shinjiro unfortunately passed away. **

**That's the end of this chapter. Like always, if you have anything you want to comment on, go for it. Otherwise I hope you're all enjoying the story so far. Till next chapter.**


	26. The Dreams of a Teal Haired Priestess

**Chapter 26 is finally here! I apologize for the wait, as my schedule has made things difficult recently. But first, I'm going to be addressing all the reviews for the previous chapter.**

**From the guest who asked about the Subspace Emissary... do you mean the plot? Like I said before, the Subspace Emissary plot from Super Smash Bros Brawl, did not happen within the canon of this story. I have thought of ways to eventually reference it, for fun, if I decide to do so.**

**From OrionGold, I will say, that things will allow those characters to eventually get their comeuppance at some point. That won't be for a fair amount of time. As for the Smash Bros cast teaming up with the Persona characters, I definitely have plans for that. But like always, all in due and eventual time.**

**From the guest that discussed Fuuka's current situation, that's an interesting way to look at Fuuka, being a bargaining chip/hostage for Minato, if she were to join as an Assist Trophy. Motive is always a strong point of any thing. Let's see how that eventually proceeds.**

**From cooking samurai, I definitely see what you mean. Master Hand does have his reasons for hiring them (granted I'm not sure if I'll go into such reasons), but I get what you mean. Like I mentioned before, they'll get their comeuppance, though it may not necessarily be from Master Hand. **

**From Dario Flaman, yeah I definitely get how you feel. Those chairmen and Mii Fighters can really be big jerks. I wanted to incorporate both Dr. Mario and regular Mario, but I didn't want to do so, as them as separate entities (Doc is literally Mario wearing his doctor's uniform, not another person altogether). Yeah, Mario does do a lot of things, with the amount of games he has. I'm glad you're looking forward to the next chapter.**

**From ConnivingG, I didn't have Minato use Thanatos or Messiah, as I wanted to portray Minato as not too overpowered, and relatively balanced (though like anything, all in due time). Same for the more powerful attacks as well. Minato was definitely angry, but his concern for Fuuka outweighs everything else, hence him rushing her to the hospital as soon as possible.**

**From CgStryker, Ness and Pikachu I have planned a way for them to show up eventually, so don't worry. I apologize for them not showing up, but rest assured, they'll appear eventually. As for Minako... honestly I wasn't planning for such a thing (for her to interact with Minato and the others physically) but maybe. I'll have to think it over. The whole roster... it's leaning towards unlikely. At least not in a significant way.**

**For the guest that asked about the two new DLC characters that got announced and are now part of Super Smash Bros for 3DS/Wii U (Roy &amp; Ryu), I'll address that in a note at the end of chapter.**

**From Phoenix Champion, yes they are lucky in that regard. Knowing their arrogance (especially for some of them), I don't think they'll stop underestimating Minato, anytime soon. As for the Hands... while that's true, this is Smash 4... and if you play on the higher intensities... well I'm pretty sure everyone knows by now, but yeah. Plus they are still powerful entities, but I do see what you mean.  
**

**Anyway, like always, if you have anything to say, don't be afraid to do so. Also a recommended music track as well, later on. I hope you all enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

It was nearly midnight. The SEES members were all still waiting in the hospital lobby. Some looked nervous, some liked frustrated, and Minato... Minato looked like a mixture of both, as his facial expression conveyed extreme negativity at the moment. Everyone was in silence as they all just hoped Fuuka would be alright. Eventually a nurse came into the lobby, saying they could visit her. They all followed the nurse as she led them into the room that Fuuka was resting in. She was wearing a teal blue hospital gown, and had bandages wrapped around her head, covering some of her short teal blue hair. Her eyes were closed, as a medical ventilator was placed on her mouth, as her body was still breathing erratically, as her body seemed to still be in pain.

"Fuuka... please get better," Yukari said quietly, as she along with Junpei and Aigis looked very saddened, to see their fellow junior student from Gekkoukan in this kind of pain. Koromaru began to whimper, as Ken tried to comfort the Shiba Inu, but the boy himself had tears in his eyes. Akihiko, Mitsuru, and Shinjiro stayed silent, as their faces just showed how down, they were currently feeling. Minato sighed as he was glad to see she was now resting, but it still hurt him to see her like this. Soon the mustached doctor that Minato saw before entered the room, as everyone turned their attention to him.

"Thank you so much for treating our friend," Mitsuru stated "I can't express our gratitude enough Doctor..."

"Doctor Mario. You are needed in the lobby." announced an intercom speaker, that was present in the room, from a female voice, presumably from the nurse. Mario nodded towards them to show his thanks, as he really didn't talk much, and had to leave due to the announcement. Soon they all found themselves around Fuuka, hoping she would be alright. Suddenly three familiar faces entered the room, that they recognized.

"**WHAT HAPPENED!?**" Pit yelled furiously as he gritted his teeth, upon finding out what happened to Fuuka. Pit had a black eye on his right eye, curiously enough. The angel had Palutena and Dark Pit with him as well. Dark Pit wore a frustrated expression, while his mouth remained closed, but was just as displeased at what he just learned. His left eye had a black eye. Palutena looked very displeased, as her eyes saddened upon seeing Fuuka on the bed like that.

"Why do you and Dark Pit have black eyes?" Junpei questioned. Both Pit and Dark Pit briefly stared at each other and looked embarrassed while Palutena decided to explain. Apparently the two were arguing over whether apples or oranges were better then each other and got into a little scuffle. Palutena took the two to the hospital floorm to get some bags of ice, and then the three found out about Fuuka's injury, as Mario explained to them that he had to currently attend to a girl with teal hair, he had never met before. Thus they were all in the room together.

"But enough of that, how is she?" Dark Pit asked concerned. They all faced Fuuka once more. Silence filled the room, as Pit continued to look furious, Dark Pit looked concerned, and Palutena looked saddened. They also explained what had happened to her, as the three individuals were not pleased at all. Pit vowed he would confront the chairmen about this, as he was very angry about what happened, but Palutena and Dark Pit told him, this wasn't the time to be doing such a thing, though they completely understood where he was coming from. They too were not pleased with what happened at all. It was time for them, to hope and await on Fuuka's recovery. Only time could tell, as they all waited for her to recover.

Days have passed since then. The SEES members would visit, and Minato practically stayed by her side, when he was allowed to be there. The others they've met would visit as well. Marth, Ike, and Lucina were saddened for Minato and Fuuka and would hope for the best for him and her. Little Mac and his trainer Doc Louis promised that they would get a big chocolate cake prepared for her when she finally recovered. Mega Man and Rob hoped she be back to normal as soon as possible. Both members of Duck Hunt were saddened as Doggy and Ducky didn't like to see someone in this kind of state, and Bowser Jr. wasn't happy to see Ms. Yamagishi like this and promised he would try drawing whatever she wanted when she got better. Bowser Jr. also had a note on him, from King Dedede saying he enjoyed the food, she and Shinjiro made, and hoped she be better in the future, to try more of her cookies. He couldn't be there at the moment, due to having to deal with a lot of cruel fighting teams, at the moment. Shulk hoped her future was bright, while Ms. Fit hoped her health would be well. Starfy and Kirby were very saddened and really wanted her to be better as well. Dillon simply sighed whenever he visited, as his face wore a frustrated expression, whenever he came to visit, to check up on Minato and Fuuka.

Isabelle took it very hard, as she was very sensitive like Fuuka and really was sad to hear her friend was like this, and came to visit whenever she could. She and Minato talked a lot, as they spent the most time visiting, as they tried to stay strong for her. Sometimes silence filled the room, as both Isabelle and Minato would just find themselves sighing. Minato and the others also found out more about Mario finally, as they learned he had ton of professions and things on the side he liked to do, besides being a doctor. Being a hero for his world being the biggest one, as he would foil Bowser's plans, or other evil villains when he had the chance. He also loved to play many different kinds of sports, do go kart racing, and so on and so forth. The members of SEES were glad such a heroic individual was devoting time, to making sure Fuuka was going to be healed up. Time only continued to pass, as everyone waited for Fuuka to recover.

A week has passed since that stormy day and it was now September 22nd 2015. Mario had both good and bad news for the members of SEES and the others concerned for her. Fuuka's physical body was fully healed (the wonders of modern medicine and medical technology), yet... she was still knocked out and unable to awaken for some reason. He was really hoping she was not going to be in a coma but... it was certainly uncertain. Since then she was moved back to her room, to rest in her own bed, but she would not awaken for some reason. They were all glad the injury she sustained, was healed up, but the fact she still hadn't awakened was concerning. Minato was in the room as he sat down in a chair nearby her, still fixated on Fuuka, Isabelle sat at another chair besides Fuuka, as she sighed and hoped she would wake up. The other SEES members stood, just watching Fuuka resting in her bed, while Mario was pacing around the room, still in his doctor's uniform, wondering if there was anything they could do, to help her awake from this seamlessly never ending sleep.

"I wonder... is she really going to be in a coma?" Isabelle said sadly. Minato didn't respond as that was the outcome, he didn't want for Fuuka at all. He was now feeling determined to find a way to awaken her, as opposed to just sitting around and waiting for her to awaken.

"I wish there was a way to like... just go into her mind, and see what's wrong. Wouldn't that be convenient?" Junpei said both concerned and at the same time, trying to lighten up the atmosphere in the room, though he still sounded a bit sad when he said it. Mario's eyes however lit up as he heard what Junpei said, as it reminded him of something. Before the mustached adult could say anything, two individuals suddenly entered Fuuka's room, one that Minato and the other members of SEES recognized as Palutena, and the other was someone they have never seen before.

She had pale white skin, light blonde hair with a large bang that covered her right eye, while the left eye she had that wasn't covered, was a very light blue. She wore a turquoise colored gown, that was very elegant and had star designed patterns on the bottom. She also wore a silver star shaped brooch with a yellow jewel over her gown, light green silver like high heels, a silver crown that had two turquoise and two pink jewels embedded into it, and two golden earrings that resembled stars. She had purple nail polish on her nails, she was a bit taller then Palutena, making her very tall (as the green haired goddess was fairly tall), and had a very calm yet concerned demeanor on her face, that also contrasted from the green haired goddess.

"Everyone... for the members of SEES... I would like to introduce you members, to a good friend of mine, I first met during this competition," Palutena said calmly and seriously. Minato and the others nodded, as they have yet to meet this person, and were wondering who she was. "This is Rosalina. She came here, because I told her about what happened to Fuuka. I think she can help Fuuka fully recover,"

"Pleased to meet you all," Rosalina said with a delicate voice and smile. Minato nodded, as he walked over to the blonde haired women, and gently shook her hand. Isabelle smiled upon seeing Rosalina, as the two became good friends as well during the course of this tournament. The SEES members all smiled towards her, and Mario nodded towards her, as he was very familiar with Rosalina. "Palutena informed me about Fuuka. I'm really sorry to hear about what happened to her. Please, let me take a look,"

Rosalina walked over to Fuuka, and carefully and gently placed her hand on Fuuka's forehead, that was no longer wrapped in bandages. It reminded Minato, of whenever he would gently caress her hair, whenever she was sleeping so peacefully, when they were hanging out sometimes. Rosalina closed her eyes as she did this, as everyone watched her. After some minutes passed, she removed her hand, and her face formed a frown.

"The stars... are not in order for her. I feel she is in some sort of... extreme conflict with regards to herself. This sleep she is in, is unnatural," Rosalina spoke quietly in a concerned and saddened tone. The SEES members were curious of what she meant, and what made her say such a thing. Isabelle noticing this, decided to speak.

"Rosalina is a fighter in this competition as well. She joined during the latest tournament like Palutena. Like Palutena, she's really strong as she has a lot of power as well,"

"While my power is derived from being a goddess and all, Rosalina's power is derived from the space and cosmos." Palutena explained. The SEES members were all impressed with what they heard, while Mario began to recall his big galaxy inspired adventure he had, where he first met Rosalina, as Palutena continued to explain more about her. "Rosalina also has her own fighting style, that sets her apart from many of the other fighters as well. But that's a discussion for another time. Right now... we need to focus on helping Fuuka. She just used her power to try to sense how Fuuka is doing... and it's not looking good in regards to what she just said. For some reason... she shouldn't still be asleep like this. She doesn't appear to be in a natural coma,"

"Not a natural sleep?" Aigis asked curiously. "So something... not natural is occurring to her?"

Rosalina nodded to Aigis, while Mario waved his arms, in order to get everyone's attention. They all turned to him as he signaled to them all to wait, as he quickly left the room to grab something. He then came back with a portable chalkboard and had multiple different colored chalk with him. He quickly drew some images that got his point across. It showed what looked like Fuuka sleeping on her bed, with what appeared to be a large portal above her. The SEES members along with Isabelle and Palutena looked confused, till Rosalina realized what Mario was trying to convey.

"Ah. I remember now. You and your brother Luigi told me and some of the others about a recent adventure you two had. An adventure involving a dream world, where you two had to stop Bowser once again, as well as a new villain known as Antasma, correct?" Rosalina said, as Mario nodded towards her. "In that adventure... your brother was able to make these... dream portals that allowed one to go inside someone's dreams, from the real world. I see what you're saying,"

The SEES members once again had learned some more new information. Mario had a brother named Luigi, and that this adventure the two had, might have the solution to their problem. Though they were curious of this whole business, regarding dreams and portals, as it sounded fantastical yet... they had accepted it was probably possible.

"So... if we can get Fuuka to make a dream portal, then someone can go inside... her dreams?" Isabelle asked, as it sounded so fantastical, yet apparently possible. Rosalina and Mario nodded towards her direction while the members of SEES wondered how that would even work.

"But how... would something like that even work? Why would someone sleeping even have a portal open up, into their dreams?" Ken questioned.

"From what I recall, Mario and his brother had met special individuals at the location where this adventure of this occurred, that helped them along the way. I suppose they're a big part of what allowed Mario's brother to have that kind of power be used," Rosalina responded. "Perhaps I should go seek council with them and try to see what I can do from there,"

"That's a great idea Rosie!" Palutena said, as she used her nickname for one of her best friends she made in Smash Tower. "Mind if I accompany you?"

Rosalina nodded, while Mario was hoping this would work. Rosalina, and Palutena left, while Mario followed so he could inform them of where to go, and what to do. The SEES members along with Isabelle all looked towards Fuuka.

"Fuuka's dreams huh?" Akihiko said curiously. "I wonder... what she dreams about?"

"I bet a lot of it revolves around Minato," Yukari playfully teased, causing the blue haired teenager to blush at what he just heard and look away. "Still... I hope this works out,"

"Agreed. While I'm glad Yamagishi's injuries are fully healed, her being in eternal slumber... is not something I want," Mitsuru said very concerned. "I really hope everything pans out,"

"Relax guys. If one thing, that living in this tower has taught me, it's that you never know what's going to happen, till it does," Shinjiro said. "She'll get better,"

"I hope so," Minato said quietly. "I really hope so,"

* * *

_***Dreamy Somnom Labryinth (Mario &amp; Luigi: Dream Team)***_

Time passed once more. This time a whole two days, as everyone still waited. It was now September 24th and during the late afternoon as the sun was starting to set. Minato was sleeping on a chair, with a blue blanket put on him, from Isabelle as she was concerned for Fuuka's boyfriend being here a lot. She at the moment had a green blanket over herself, as she was currently resting in a separate chair. The other SEES members leaned against a wall, while Koromaru slept on the end of Fuuka's bed, eager for her to wake up, so he could happily greet her. Suddenly two people opened the door to her room, causing them all too wake up. They both saw Palutena and Rosalina enter. Both were carrying what looked like, a rather large teal pillow, that both sparkled with blue star outlines on it. Needless to say, it was not your normal looking pillow.

"We're back. Mario couldn't be here because he's busy with matches at the moment." Rosalina explained. "Palutena and myself have managed to work with individuals that helped out Mario and his brother, during that adventure they had. With their help, and our combined magical power, we managed to create this special pillow that will allow Fuuka to conjure up dream portals,"

"Yeah. If we do this, then maybe we can find out what's preventing her from waking up." Palutena suggested. The two carefully walked over to Fuuka's bed. Minato and Isabelle carefully and gently lifted Fuuka's head up, and took away the pillow she rested, while both Palutena and Rosalina placed the special pillow where Fuuka would lay her head on. The members of SEES along with Isabelle, were curious to see if this would actually work. Suddenly above Fuuka's head, a large cloud shaped like portal manifested itself, surprising the others except Palutena and Rosalina. It swirled above her, a mixture of surreal colors, that resembled something out of a psychedelic lava lamp.

"So we can all enter her dreams now?" Yukari asked, as both Palutena and Rosalina nodded. "I don't know... seems like a huge invasion of privacy,"

"Well... I mean... what else can we do? We have to do what we can to awaken her Yuka-tan," Junpei said uneasily, though he also felt uncomfortable having to enter Fuuka's dreams as well.

"Dreams can have one's most inner most thoughts. Thoughts that one doesn't normally reveal," Mitsuru stated, as she wasn't sure how to feel about this as well. "While we are all close to Yamagishi... and while I personally feel that she wouldn't mind visiting her most inner thoughts... maybe we should handle this... delicately,"

"Handle this delicately? What are you talking about Mitsuru?" Akihiko questioned. "I mean... what are we really going to expect inside someone's dreams?"

"I don't know. But... I do agree with Takeba to a certain extent. Yamagishi's inner thoughts do belong to her and maybe... we should handle this a bit differently," Mitsuru stated. She then walked to Minato, and turned to face him, for what she was about to say. "Arisato... you out of everyone here are the closest to her, for many reasons. I feel this operation should be handled, solely by you,"

Minato turned to the rest of his friends. Some looked concerned, while some didn't necessarily mind the suggestion they just heard. He was however determined to enter the dream portal, and desperately wanted to save Fuuka from her slumber.

"Whether I do it alone or not, I'm going to help her," Minato answered back quietly. "I'm going to head back to my room, to freshen up and prepare myself."

Minato left Fuuka's room and walked back into his own room. He took a quick shower (he of course has been bathing normally like anyone would normally, during this period of frustration for him. This also applies to the others), put on a new Gekkoukan uniform, and armed himself with his Evoker and weapons. He walked back to Fuuka's room and stared at the dream portal that was above her.

"I should say this, before you go. If you encounter any individual inside her dreams... just be aware they are not necessarily the real individuals. They are merely counterparts to the real world. Native only to the dreams," Rosalina stated calmly, as Minato nodded towards her. "May the stars shine brightly for you and Fuuka,"

"Good luck Minato." Palutena added, as she was good friends with the blue haired teen now, as Minato flashed her a smirk, to acknowledge what she said.

"Minato... be careful. I hope things are alright with Fuuka," Isabelle said with concern, but Minato showed her a smile, to show that he would be, and hoped similarly. He looked toward the other members of SEES and they all nodded towards him. They told him, that if needed to come back for whatever reason, he shouldn't hesitate to do so.

He then faced the psychedelic rainbow looking portal and sighed. With one strong leap, he jumped into it, and soon everyone saw him disappear into it, wondering what he was going to encounter exactly.

Minato soon found himself reemerging at a new location. He looked around as he was amazed by what he saw. He found himself in a world that had tons of color with shades of blue, teal, and light green as he looked around. He was in a thick forest that was very clean and surreal. The grass was growing very cleanly, and he saw many exotic plants around him, making him unsure if they were natural or fictitious considering the nature of where he was right now. He attributed it, to her like of gardening and the plants he kept in her room. For some reason he wasn't too phased too. Probably due to being conditioned with all the supernatural activity that he had already dealt with, in his life. He looked at the sky and it was a bizarre and beautiful sight of what he saw. It was a beautiful starry night sky though... the stars were red which made him concerned. A bloody red that were unfitting for Fuuka. He wondered if that was what Rosalina meant by the stars not being in order, or if that was just an expression for her? It also had various large flying spacecraft he saw. Some being normal like things you see at NASA, while others were more of the science fiction realm. The night sky was also illuminated by a blue moon, that looked very beautiful.

"Fuuka was always into the sci-fi movies we watched at the movie theater at Tatsumi Port Island," Minato said quietly to himself, as he recalled such happy memories. How Fuuka would be so excited at the spectacle and scenes they saw from such movies. He then began to walk forward and decided it was time to explore the world of Fuuka Yamagishi's dreams and see what was preventing her from waking up. He noted that the dream portal's location, when he would inevitably have to leave and head back. He began to walk around and thankfully didn't encounter any hostile wild life. The woods was just full of cute and cuddly animals, that one would see in such a natural environment. Minato smiled as he saw the various animals as they didn't mind his presence. Fuuka was always into the cute stuff as well, knowing her. Suddenly he heard a very faint voice that he recognized, that belonged to a certain priestess.

"Fuuka?" Minato said quietly to himself. He then walked in the direction of the voice, eager to find the source of it. As he walked and walked, the voice and the words it said, began to become clearer and clearer to Minato. They were a mix of both positive and negative things, she said, as he kept approaching the source of the voice. It made his heart feel concerned immensely, as he heard many things spoken.

"Am I really... worth something?"

"I care so much for everyone. I want them all to be happy,"

"Am I capable of being someone better?"

"I want to become someone who can better the world,"

"Am I useless? Do I hurt, more then I help?"

"A world where everyone can be in peace and harmony. That is one I want to live in,"

"I should have died... then Shinjiro sempai wouldn't have..."

"To live strongly for a brighter future... that is what they would want,"

"I will always be weak. I can't fight, I'm outclassed by everyone. I'm redundant,"

"I'm proud to support my friends, the best I can. Anything to make them happy, makes me happy."

"Am I not worthy for...my prince?"

"Minato... you are the love of my life. I want to be with you forever,"

As Minato heard these things, his heart felt a mixture of many emotions as he kept walking. This was so surreal and emotional, to be hearing such things from this dream world, that belonged to Fuuka. He then eventually found himself out of the woods and found himself in a large plain, that was planted with both blue and teal flowers, of many kinds. He saw on the opposite end was a huge woods that looked similar to the one he was just in. He noted that to the left and right of where he was standing, had a huge blue ocean surrounding the area, with blue clear water, that seemed to sparkle due to the light from the celestial bodies in the sky.

He also noted one more thing that made him concerned. The voices he heard stopped as he saw something in the middle of the flowery plains, that looked very peculiar. The blue moon, even shined light down on that spot, to highlight to him, as if it was unnatural as well. He saw three doors there that looked very out of place. The three doors were purely black and it was like... shadow like darkness was leaking from them, very slowly, as the flowers and grass around them had decayed and were now devoid of life. He walked closer to them to get a better look, and when he eventually arrived he saw more striking things about them. The first door he had decided to inspect, had a bronze door handle, and a bronze plaque above it, that only said the letter "Q," for whatever reason. He curiously stared at it, wondering what Q could mean. He then looked an another door that had a silver handle and had a particular plaque on it, that spoke of something he heard about from the others.

"P-1 Climax?" Minato spoke quietly. He wasn't sure why this plaque had those words on it, but he was definitely familiar with what that was, considering what the other SEES members have told him, in regards to that incident. He then turned to look at the last door and it looked similar to the other doors, despite some differences. It had a golden door handle, more shadow like darkness was emerging from it in comparison to the door that had the P-1 Climax plaque and the door with the plaque with Q, it had a bronze chain and lock, and a silver chain and lock surrounding and securing the door. Finally what was most particular was that instead of a plaque that said something like the other doors, it instead had a red priestess mask, that was reminiscent of one that some Shadows worn, to signify their arcana. This door in particular made him feel very concerned.

"I think I should head back, and report what I found to the others," Minato said to himself, as he decided to walk back to the dream portal he emerged from, to head back to the real world, and into Fuuka's room, to discuss with them, what he found out.

* * *

We rewind the clock a bit, and go to the night of September 15th. After Elizabeth had converted so much of her endless yen, into American dollars, they also decided to purchase some additional clothes at a nearby clothes store, since they're current uniforms were absolutely drenched along with umbrellas. They then found the Langham Place hotel, and rented three of it's best rooms, that money could buy. Of course the employees had questionable looks upon the group, as they didn't look like the type that could afford such a place. One room was for Yu, Yosuke, Teddie and Kanji to share, another was for Chie, Yukiko, Rise, and Naoto, and lastly the Velvet Room siblings shared the last room. They were currently in the room that both Elizabeth and Theodore rented. The boys sat in one of the leather couches in the room, still soaking wet, the girls sat in another leather couch that was opposite of them, while both Elizabeth and Theodore stared at the outside, window that overlooked the Empire State Building.

"Alright so... umm... I guess this is the start of another meeting for the Investigation Team?" Yosuke said with a confused expression, still baffled that everything that just happened. "Who wants to start the discussion?"

"Well... if we're all here... does that mean everybody home is wondering where we are?" Yukiko asked. The Investigation Team members all paled at the thought of that, as all their friends and family back in Inaba, were probably wondering where they were.

"Oh no! Nanako-chan must be worried sick about all of us!" Teddie whined, as he referred to Yu's younger female cousin. Yu met her, when he stayed with her and his uncle, during his school year in 2011, as his parents were too busy to take care of him, and had him live with his cousin and uncle. Nanako was a very sweet and hard working girl, and all the Investigation Team members liked her.

"Oh man! That's a good point Ted. That reminds me... Dojima-san is going to go nuts! He'll have the whole Inaba police force looking for us, by this time at night!" Kanji said concerned. To be more precise, Ryotaro Dojima, who was Yu's uncle. He was a detective that worked for the Inaba police force, and took his work very seriously. He was a bit of a hard ass, but he was still a nice guy. They all then heard Theodore clear his throat, as their attention turned towards him. He turned around to face them, and decided to clear some things up.

"Well actually... well what I'm about to say, may sound very... what is the appropriate term... perplexing? But please understand what I'm about to say, is true," Theodore said, as he was looking for the appropriate way to explain what he was about to say. The Investigation Team members nodded back to him, indicating they understood that whatever he was about to say could sound pretty confusing.

"It can't be that crazy... right?" Chie said with a nervous laugh. Theodore sighed as he decided it was time to say, to help explain to them, more of the situation.

"Back in the world you all are from... everything is stopped in time, and thus the world and all it's living creatures are frozen," Theodore stated.

The Investigation Team all stared blankly at Theodore, as they were even more baffled with what they just heard. They all blinked their eyes rapidly as they took this information in, and then looked at each other unsure what to say. Then they all screamed the following together as they were just so collectively confused.

"**WHAT!?**" they all yelled out together. Elizabeth decided to respond next, as she decided to respond to their confusion.

"It seems, myself and my brother will explain our side of what has been happening, before we proceed to learn what knowledge you wish to share with us," Elizabeth said, as she turned to face them. Elizabeth then began to explain what had happened. How the world froze in time, right before the year of 2015 began. How she saw her guest's companions disappear in a flash of light, along with the body of Minato Arisato. Minato's soul that was preventing mankind's manifestation of grief and negative emotion, from reaching contact with an entity known as Nyx, and was now replaced with an impenetrable barrier that would not break. How she along with Theodore and Margaret had found out that the next day, a door that had multiple chains and locks of different colors, and how this door would eventually unlock itself for reasons unknown to the Velvet Room attendants. How both of them entered the door, and found themselves in this world.

"We remained concealed in that theater as I sensed the presence of my guest and his close companions there. Then we saw them enter and speak to the one, known as The Master. We watched him speak to them, and then he summoned all of you," Elizabeth explained. The Investigation Team went into deep thought as they went over what Elizabeth just informed them.

"So the world we're from is currently frozen in time... I wonder if the Shadow Operatives knew about that?" Risa said aloud.

"They had to convey a lot of information to us in an unusual situation. I imagine they were not prepared to see us, like we weren't prepared to see them. I understand if they might have left some out by accident," Naoto stated. "What's interesting is how The Master can bend reality to his will. Taking the Shadow Operatives during the last day of 2014, while we were taken from the year of 2012. I suppose it's time for us to explain our side of the story. Admittedly it's not much though,"

"That's fine. Any new information will be appreciated from you all," Theodore stated calmly.

"Well... we were all having a discussion at Junes, which is the big shopping center in our town. One of many Junes actually since," Chie explained. "Our leader brought up a topic in regards to... well I'm sure you guys heard, but the incident where we all first met each other,"

"Ah yes. I remember discussing such a topic with my guest. It was few nights after a typhoon in the month of September, during the year of his journey," Elizabeth remarked. "As The Master discussed, that incident was the biggest reason, as to why my guest is in his current journey, so to speak,"

"Well Yu was involved in that incident as well. The Master could have picked him instead of Minato. Though I think he's had enough fighting tournaments to deal with, even if this Super Smash Bros one, is non lethal and all," Yosuke said.

"Right now, our focus should be to learn everything we can about this world, and more about this tournament," Yu stated. "I think we're going to be stuck in this new world for a while, like Minato is with his group. So the more knowledgeable we are, the better it is for us,"

"Intelligence gathering? Very smart decision sempai. As they say, knowledge is power, so having more of it, for the current situation we're all in, will be very beneficial," Naoto stated.

"Great idea sensei!" Teddie exclaimed excited. "Though right now... I'm kind of hungry. Can we get started on calling room service?"

The Investigation Team agreed to that, as they used the phone in the room, and began to order food. Elizabeth told them not to worry about expenses, as she essentially had a never ending supply of cash on her. After a hearty dinner, they all split and headed to their rooms, as they prepared to clean themselves up, changed into pajamas they bought, and went to bed. Over their time, they decided to split up tasks among them. Rise and Chie would go on shopping errands to obtain more resources for them all (clothes, subways maps, laptops, etc), with Yu, Yosuke, Teddie, and Kanji help carrying it all back. Yukiko and Naoto would research the world, and try to get more in depth information. Things like the Smash Bros competition, the fighters in the current tournament, their current environment of New York City, and so on. Elizabeth and Theodore requested that they help them out, with creating a "Velvet Room" of the hotel room the two stayed at (though they still had their own parts of the room to rest in). Needless to say, the boys found themselves buying a lot of velvet blue paint, carpet, curtains, and such, to help make their room rather velvety. Not to mention, doing the work to paint and setup the room to resemble such a thing. The employees who ran the Langham Place, didn't even bother questioning any of it, as they didn't want to deal with these individuals. Plus it helped that Elizabeth had so much money that they spent on the hotel, they saw no reason to risk losing their potential customers through any actions.

By September 23rd, Langham Place had essentially became the new temporary home and base of operations for the Investigation Team, as they were filled with resources to survive and live comfortably, had their "Velvet Room," setup, and personalized their shared rooms to somewhat resemble their own rooms from home to an extent, and had a large array of clothing (it helped the building had laundry and drying machines as well). They had also found out much more about the Smash Bros tournaments, and it's current roster of fighters. They learned what they could of Smash Corp as well, (at least what ever was made available to the public) and learned how to get around Manhattan easily, if they ever needed to travel. Needless to say, they were all more prepared and confident to handle their current situation, compared to before, and would eventually get more involved with the current events happening.

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**So what did you guys think? Notes as always.  
**

**1\. So the adventure that Rosalina refers to, in regards to the Mario Bros, is Mario &amp; Luigi: Dream Team. A 3DS RPG game that involved the bros working together, traveling between the real and dream world, to stop new villain Antasma, who works with good old infamous Bowser.**

**2\. Fuuka likes Sci-Fi movies if you take her to the movie theater in Persona 3, and she is into flowers as she has many in her room. **

**3\. The voices that Minato hear in her dream world, are based off an area in Dream Team called Dream's Deep, where Mario will hear Luigi's most inner most thoughts.**

**4\. So regarding those doors that involve "Q," and the "P-1 Climax,"... they won't overstay their welcome, as I plan to devote a chapter to each. What I will cover, will also remain unknown till those chapters. Though that begs the question what's with the third door...**

**5\. Dreamy Somnom Labryinth is a track that plays in the Dream World version of an area known as Somnom Woods, which is the 2nd to last major area in Mario &amp; Luigi: Dream Team, before the final area. The track was very serene, peaceful, and gentle, befitting Fuuka's dream world and her personality I felt.  
**

**6\. So yes. The new DLC content revealed on June 14th. Roy and Ryu being new DLC characters, besides other content they announced. To answer that question...yes. I have planned a chapter in mind, where those two, along with Mewtwo and Lucas will be involved. That won't be for a while, but they will appear. I wonder what other characters will eventually join via DLC?  
**

**So that about covers it all I believe. Like I said before, don't be afraid to say anything, point out stuff, and so on. I always appreciate it. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and the story so far, and till next chapter!**


	27. Reliving a Dreamy Group Date Cafe

**Chapter 27 is here! But first I'm going to address the reviews for the previous chapter.**

**From the Guest that brought up if Minato is going to meet Link... maybe. You see, the way I portrayed Mario in the two recent chapters he finally showed up in, was that he didn't really talk much outside of the occasional one liner. Link... doesn't really vocally talk that much as well. I get what you mean though but I'll consider it. No guarantees.  
**

**From cooking samurai, that is a very fun way to look at it. Ryu has been in a lot of crossover games. I might portray Ryu in that way, instead of just being a Street Fighter. I personally wanted Viewtiful Joe or Phoenix Wright (in terms of a 2nd Capcom character, if they were to get one, which they did with Ryu), but Ryu is cool, and I understand that Ryu is way more well known compared to them.**

**From CgStryker, I do like to incorporate as much as I can. Part of the fun of writing a Smash Bros story, is that basically you have access to pretty much every Nintendo (and I guess now by extension, 3rd Party to a degree) universe to work with. As for Minako... I'm still debating so no guarantees, but those would be interesting interactions. I appreciate the thanks.**

**From That Guy... I gotta admit, having Captain Falcon would be nice. I admit that was a very passionate way of expressing your desire for him. Maybe I can think of a way to incorporate him as well. Thank you. Also to keep in mind, while this is a Smash Bros story, it's also a Persona story as well.  
**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed or have been reading this story so far. It's much appreciated. I also want to bring up a quick note, before I also move on. For this, and the next two chapters, the Investigation Team will be involved but not in a way that's really significant. Don't worry, as I have big plans for them in the future in a more significant way, but for now it is what is it. One chapter at a time.**

**As always, if you have anything you want to say, go for it. Also another piece of music I recommend listening to, while reading as well. Otherwise I hope you're all enjoying the story so far, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

It was now September 24th during the evening and the Investigation Team were holding a meeting in Elizabeth and Theodore's makeshift Velvet Room. The two attendants were currently out as they were currently exploring more of the city, but allowed the Investigation Team to be in their room. The eight members were having a meeting to discuss the current situation.

"Alright. Let's begin another meeting for the Investigation Team!" Yosuke proclaimed, as he along with everyone else were in more confident spirits, compared to before. "Yu had things he had on mind he wanted to discuss,"

"Thanks. Alright so first off, like usual... no one has been able to still summon their Personas yet, right?" Yu asked. The rest of the Investigation Team all nodded, with a bit of dismay. One of the things the Investigation Team tried to do, the next day, after their first night staying at Langham Place was trying to summon their Persona. They knew that they couldn't normally do a thing, unless they were in the world of the Midnight Channel normally, but maybe just maybe, they be able to do so in this new world. Elizabeth and Theodore were unable to assist them, as they themselves weren't sure how to handle this situation, at least currently. Unfortunately they still had no success, and today didn't seem any different.

"I wish. If we were only like the Shadow Operatives who can do it, in the real world," Chie whined.

"Yeah. They're definitely stronger Persona users, compared to us in general." Yukiko added. "Though we worked well with them during the past incidents."

"Oh yeah! I wanted to bring up the incident involving Rei and Zen, while we're on this discussion!" Rise pointed out. "It's still pretty amazing we first met the Shadow Operatives during that incident, before the fighting tournament incidents we just had involving Labrys and Sho,"

"Indeed. Since we all finally recalled that incident... it was quite the adventure we had with them," Naoto stated.

"Oh yeah! We had a lot of crazy and fun moments with them, along with Rei and Zen, didn't we?" Kanji stated, as he began to recall his memories.

"My favorite has got to be the labyrinth involving the Group Date Cafe!" Teddie said with a snicker. Yosuke face-palmed as he remembered how embarrassing their Culture Festival went, back in Yasogami High School, in 2011. "Despite the hostile Shadows inside, it sure had a lot of places where you can go smoochy smooch with someone!"

"Yeah and you had no such action Teddie," Yosuke said annoyed, while the blonde crossed his arms. "Ugh. That was one memory I didn't want to be reminded of. It was embarrassing enough, our contribution to our Culture Festival was a Group Date Cafe. To have to go through a labyrinth based on that... ugh,"

"Wasn't the Group Date Cafe, your idea anyway Yosuke?" Chie said, sounding and looking annoyed. Yosuke sighed as he placed a hand on his face, not wanting to be reminded anymore of this particular moment.

"Though that reminds me... I admit the fake wedding was kind of cute for the couple involved in it, at the Group Date Cafe labyrinth. Shame it was just a trap, but it all worked out," Rise said.

"Couple? Fake wedding? Wait... who got married?" Kanji asked confused. Rise rolled her eyes, at what she just heard. "What? It was still a while ago... sort of."

"Don't you remember Kanji?" Yu asked. Kanji shook his head for a no. "Well I guess we can take some time to go over that event. When we were involved in that incident, after we helped Minato's group at the end of the first labyrinth, which was called "You in Wonderland." I let Minato take over as the main leader, with myself as second in command. The second labyrinth was the Group Date Cafe, and as we proceeded through it, Minato answered questions about the type of girl he liked. As he answered his tenth and final question-"

* * *

Minato had gotten back to Fuuka's room. He noticed that Isabelle, Palutena, and Rosalina were gone. The others had explained to him that Isabelle had to go, due to a match involving Assist Trophies was up soon, and she had to be ready and present, in case she was summoned into battle. Palutena and Rosalina requested that they wanted a private discussion, and Mitsuru allowed them to use her room to do so, as the two wanted to talk about something in private, regarding this whole current situation with Fuuka and Minato. They said that if anyone needed them, they be in Mitsuru's room, ready to help out. Minato then explained to them what he saw, in regards to Fuuka's dream world. He made sure to leave out the things, her voice said, as he realized that was really personal. When he told them about the three doors, they were unsure of how to proceed.

"Three doors that have a shadowy aura to them... one has a plaque that says the letter Q... one had a plaque that says P-1 Climax... and one that is chained with both bronze and silver chains and lock, has a red priestess mask, seen on Shadows of the priestess arcana," Mitsuru stated with unease, as she didn't feel comfortable with what she learned.

"Q? What does that even stand for?" Junpei said confused, as Minato shrugged in response. "Those doors sound like bad news though in general."

"The P-1 Climax..." Yukari said with unease, as she recalled the incident. "Not the best memories. Especially considering we had to deal with someone like Sho,"

"Don't remind me. Glad he's calmed down after it was over and all... but anyway... why would a door about the P-1 Climax, exist in Fuuka's dreams?" Junpei questioned.

"I don't know, but it doesn't sound good with that... shadow like darkness leaking out of those doors." Akihiko said, slightly on edge. "Plus we still have that third door, Minato brought up,"

"The door that has a mask, worn by Shadows associated with the priestess arcana. That door in particular sounds most... troublesome," Aigis stated. Koromaru barked in agreement, as he was worried as well.

"Anything potentially involving the Shadows is bad news," Shinjiro said. "I don't know why something like that would be in Fuuka's dreams, but we better get to the bottom of this,"

"So what now Minato?" Ken asked, as everyone turned their attention to the leader of SEES. Minato was deep in thought. While he understood where Mitsuru and Yukari were coming from earlier, he decided it was probably best to have them all come with him.

"We need to do this together." Minato said. Both Yukari and Mitsuru looked at him with a concerned stare, while everyone else went into thought. "I understand that something like this... is extreme. Being in someone's dreams and being able to see what goes on, in someone's mind to an extent but... Fuuka would want us all to do what's the best course of action. While I'm admittedly the closest person to her... I think she would understand, if you were all in her dreams. She cares for you all as well. So let's all continue on together into her dreams,"

"Very well. As always, we will follow your decisions," Mitsuru said with a nod as she trusted him. Yukari nodded as well, showing her acknowledgment. All the SEES members smiled or smirked, and Minato felt more confident. With him leaping back in, the rest followed, and soon he was back in the dream world that belonged to Fuuka. When the others arrived, they were all amazed by what they saw. The world was so peaceful and surreal, as if it was the world had finally achieved world peace. The sky in particular stood out, as the spacecraft and celestial bodies stood out in the sky (though the bloody red stars made them feel tense). Following Minato, he led them through the forest, and soon to the plains filled with the blue and teal flowers. Their amazement continued to grow as they walked, though their faces contorted in emotional pain and wonder, as they heard Fuuka's voice say many things about herself.

"Fuuka..." Yukari said quietly, as her eyes teared up, as they all heard her voice spoke of such personal thoughts about herself. Junpei, Aigis, and Ken looked ready to bawl as well as they heard the kindhearted girl's voice speak of such things about herself, while Mitsuru, Akihiko, and Shinjiro tried their best to keep calm, but definitely felt the impact of the words spoken. Koromaru began to whimper, as Minato himself looked solemn. "Hang in there... we're all going to be saving you again. Just like that time in Tartarus,"

They soon arrived at the middle of the field, and were by the three black doors that Minato described. They stared at the doors unsure of how to proceed. For everyone besides Shinjiro, they were reminded immensely of an incident that took place after Minato's demise. Where they all had an adventure, that involved moving on from his death. Now it seemed to be happening again, but this time, it involved Fuuka and her dreams.

"So the door with the Q plaque has a bronze door handle... and the door with the plaque that says P-1 Climax has a silver door handle as Minato said before," Aigis noted.

"The third door with the red priestess mask and golden door handle... has two chain and locks, that are each respectively made of bronze and silver," Mitsuru stated. "I say it's most likely, that the way to unlock those chains, are probably connected to the two other doors,"

"Well what are we waiting for? Minato, take your pick for which door we should check out first then!" Akihiko said with enthusiasm, as he was ready to help save Fuuka. Minato nodded, as he eyed both doors. His curiosity was really making him wonder, what the door with plaque that only had the letter Q meant, so he pointed towards that one. Minato slowly walked up to the door and slowly placed his hand on the bronze handle, as the others awaited behind him. He slowly opened the door, as some more darkness like shadow emerged from it, and when it was fully opened, he saw a pitch black hallway, with what appeared to be a bright light at the end of it. Minato turned around to face the others, and they nodded towards him, showing their confidence. He nodded back, and slowly walked in, with all of them following behind, making sure to close the door after everyone entered. They walked and walked as the pitch black tunnel, never seemed to end, till they finally arrived at the very end. When they finally arrived, they were greeted by a familiar sight, they haven't seen in a very long time.

_*** Instinct and Longing (Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth) ***_

"This is the alternate Yasogami High!" Junpei exclaimed as they all recalled this location, as they were now in a school classroom they used to rest and sleep in, with the makeshift beds they had here, during their time here. After remembering the events that recently transpired as The Master made them recall such events, the SEES members remembered this adventure they had, where they first actually met the Investigation Team. They noticed that the hallway they emerged from was gone, which made them a bit tense. Hopefully they had a way to come back to the previous dream area.

"So this area is connected to Fuuka's dreams involving that incident," Aigis stated in curiosity. "I wonder what we will encounter here exactly?"

Minato and the others left the classroom, and found themselves in a hallway. They noted that the Yasogami students that roamed the hallways and wouldn't notice them, were still here, as the Culture Festival this alternate version of Yasogami High had. Suddenly they all heard a familiar voice call out to them, they didn't expect to hear.

"Minato-kun! Everyone!" shouted what sounded like Fuuka. They all turned toward the direction, and they all saw her running towards them. They were all briefly confused, till they recalled what Rosalina said, as the dream world would have it's own versions of people they knew. The dream version of Fuuka ran up to them, out of breath, as she stood to take a couple of breaths before she continued talking. "I've been looking everywhere for you guys. Yu and the others, along with Rei-chan and Zen-kun, are waiting for us all, at the Group Date Cafe labyrinth,"

"Group Date Cafe labyrinth?" Ken said puzzled. He and the others then suddenly recalled, that was one of many labyrinths they explored in this alternate world, as they held the truth and key to get them all back to their own reality. Fuuka nodded, as the others began to recall what had happened in that labyrinth.

"Yes. Yu said, we should be able to confront the guardian of that labyrinth today, since we're nearly at the bottom of it. I'll be joining Rise-chan at the Velvet Room here, to help support you all. Good luck everyone!" Fuuka said, as she walked away. Minato looked to the others, and they looked unsure of what to do.

"I guess we should meet the dream Investigation Team, along with dream Rei and dream Zen. Let's go clear that labyrinth and we'll see what to do from there," Minato said. The others agreed, and they followed Minato and headed towards the Group Date Cafe labyrinth entrance. Once there, they saw what was essentially the dream world versions of the Investigation Team sans Rise, and the dream world version of Rei and Zen. The SEES members decided to act as if nothing was unusual, and Minato was now leading the huge group, with Yu as second in charge. They made their way down, and easily dealt with any Shadows due to their large number of fighters, and soon reached what was where they managed to progress to, so far. Soon they were all standing in front of two large white doors.

"It looks like Minato will be having his tenth question, asked about his romantic partner here," Zen stated quietly and bluntly, as Minato nodded. It looks like, he had already answered the first nine questions by this point, regarding that. Also for him and the other SEES members, it was great to see Zen again, even if it wasn't the real one.

"Oh! I wonder who his destined partner is going to be Zen!" Rei teased excitedly, as she took a bite out of her corn dog. Minato and the others also recalled Rei's insatiable appetite, but it was good to see her, even if it was not the real deal. Minato entered the opened the door, and heard a familiar mechanical announcer voice, from a long time ago.

"After overcoming countless hardships, you have at last reached the final room. You await the final question with sweaty palms, but before that, there is something that must be done. Yes... it's time to review your choices thus far," said a mechanical announcer voice. The announcer then repeated questions along with answers that Minato apparently answered too. Questions like what was Minato's idea of a good time together, (which he answered with positively indoors), and what kind of older lady do you like (which he answered with, one good at looking after others). "And so laugh or cry, here comes the last question. You can answer it if you wish, or elect to not answer it. What kind of girl makes your heart skip a beat?"

Minato though carefully for a bit, as he wanted to make sure he was being true to himself, from what he looked for, from another person. Especially someone like a destined partner. He then smirked as he came up with the answer, that he felt was right.

"Someone reserved and considerate," Minato said. The voice asked him if he was absolutely sure, which he affirmed his answer with. He then heard Fuuka giggle softly, which made him smile. It only strengthened who his so called destined partner was going to be. Soon the room went dark as two spotlights began to hover over everyone else in the room, and the sound of a drum roll began to play.

"Your destined partner is lo and behold..." the announcer announced. Suddenly Fuuka appeared in the room, with the spotlights on her, making her very confused. The SEES members all smiled, as they knew the two were already kind of close (though at this point in time, Minato and Fuuka still were not an official couple yet normally and it didn't help they would forget this whole experience, involving the labyrinths), while the Investigation Team members thought they were a good match as well from what they've seen of the two and their interactions together so far. Rei had a huge grin, as she was happy for them both, while Zen wondered where the guardian of the labyrinth was, making him concerned.

"Huh!? Why am I here? Wait, what!? Does this mean that... I'm his destined partner!?" Fuuka said as she started to blush wildly, while Minato smiled at her. "Umm...I didn't think I be picked... umm... what should I do?"

Suddenly a hole opened below both Minato and Fuuka, causing both to fall into them, while everyone else just raised their eyebrows at what just happened. For SEES they did recall, what happened and also realized they had to get ready soon, for the guardian coming up. We go back to both Minato and Fuuka, as they landed on a grassy field, as wedding music began to play. The path ahead was filled with huge heart like decorations. Both Minato and Fuuka got up from the ground, as they looked around.

"Oww... I landed right on my butt... oh Minato-kun! Thank goodness you're okay! Umm... I was just navigating with Rise-chan until a moment ago... but suddenly, I just realized I just been summoned someplace else. I didn't know what was going on... huh?" Fuuka said, as she suddenly realized they were both holding hands, and she suddenly felt so shy and nervous. "What! Umm... our hands!"

"It seems, you have reached your destination," the mechanical announcer voice from before said. Fuuka freaked out, as she wasn't expecting to hear the voice, while Minato tried to calm her down, with his presence. "This seems to be a path where lovers who met their destined partners discuss their love for each other. What could be waiting up ahead? You are free to step forth hand-in-hand, curiosity and fear in your hearts, or you can refrain,"

"Lovers? But that's..." Fuuka stammered out, as she only blushed even more, while Minato made sure to reassure her, that everything was going to be okay.

"You are free to step forth or refrain from doing so. These are your apparent options. Now, step forth!" the mechanical announcer voice announced.

"Please wait! What are we suppose to do with our hands? Oh my... what should I do? Ah, umm... I'm so sorry!" Fuuka said. Minato however felt concerned as he heard this.

"Why are you apologizing Fuuka?" Minato asked with curiosity.

"I mean... I don't think I'm worthy of being your partner," Fuuka said with low self esteem. Minato immediately felt bad for her, as his heart was filled with more concern. "And... this talk about love... oh I'm sorry! I'm being too self-conscious aren't I?"

"Don't be sorry Fuuka. Are you nervous?" Minato replied.

"Huh? Oh... a little. Actually... to be honest... I think... I'm very nervous," Fuuka nervously replied back. Minato then thought of the perfect thing to say, to help to try to make her calm down.

"Here, come closer," Minato said with a smirk. Fuuka freaked out a bit from hearing that, but then thought it over, and calmed down a bit.

"Oh I see. It would be hard to walk, if we were far apart from each other. Umm... then... pardon me. So umm... since we're the only ones here, should we try moving on? I'll be careful not to get in the way... so... let's do this," Fuuka replied. They both held hands, as they walked forward and eventually encountered what appeared to be a photo that depicted them. Minato in a groom's uniform, holding Fuuka in a white wedding dress, as his bride.

"Oh...huh!? Oh dear! Why does this exist!? I'd never be suitable for our leader!" Fuuka exclaimed. Minato felt saddened hearing Fuuka saying such a thing about herself again. Fuuka squeezed Minato's hand in response, harder then before, upon her reaction upon seeing the photo. "Ah! I squeezed your hand really hard, didn't I? I'm sorry! Did it... hurt?"

Minato however smirked as he decided to do the following as his response. He just squeezed Fuuka's hand back, just as hard, causing her to eek in surprise.

"Umm... well... umm... you can... squeeze harder... you know?" I mean... if you do that, then we'll be even... right?" Fuuka replied, as her face was now a big bright red, which Minato smiled back in response too. "So... I think we're done here. Well... shall we get going?"

Both Minato and Fuuka walked past the photo, and were soon aproaching a church, that they were nearly upon. Suddenly Fuuka stopped, as she used her free hand to go into a thinking pose. She then asked Minato a question.

"Umm... Minato-kun... about that picture earlier... it made me happy. A prince coming for a princess, who live together happily ever after... it's a nice dream. That's why... I felt like my dream came true, a little bit," Fuuka said happily. She then panicked as she realized what she just said, while Minato gently smirked in response. He also thought it was amusing, that a dream version of Fuuka was talking about her dreams coming true, within Fuuka's dream world. "Oh sorry! I didn't mean to blabber on about my dreams,"

"I don't mind at all Fuuka," Minato said gently back with a smile. Fuuka smiled and blushed in response from hearing that.

"Thanks... you're so nice Minato-kun. It's like you really are a prince," Fuuka replied with a gentle giggle and embarrassed smile, that made Minato's heart just go nuts from the gentleness he just heard. "Thanks for listening Minato-kun,"

"No problem Fuuka. In fact... should we really get married?" Minato teased with a smirk, as Fuuka went back to feeling more embarrassed.

"Umm... I'm sorry! That's supposed to be a joke, right? I couldn't think of a good comeback... my heart was pounding and umm... geez. I'm the one that brought it up, too. Am I really bride material?" Fuuka replied back. Minato decided to do this, as opposed to replying. He instead picked her up, and carried her in his arms, as their blushing faces were now closer to each other.

"Huh!? I did say it was a dream of mine, but it's still embarrassing!" Fuuka said as her face was bright red, but she smiled in response and let out, another gentle giggle. Minato smiled back, and decided to carry her to the church's entrance. He then placed her back on the ground softly, and the two held hands again.

"The long awaited moment has come. The bride and groom are finally about to enter. The last moment of hesitation has arrived before you are to be wed." the mechanical announcer voice said.

"Before... we're wed?" Fuuka said in confusion, from what she just heard.

"Through your own free will, you decide to vow eternal love to each other," the mechanical announcer voice stated. Fuuka freaked out once more, but she actually had a confident smile on her face.

"Umm... does that mean... if we go into this church, will we... really be married?" Fuuka yelled out both in confusion and excitement. Minato internally sighed. As much as he wanted that to be true, he knew what was coming, and it was definitely not a marriage. They both pushed the doors open and then closed them, as they went inside the church. White flowers were falling from the ceiling, a blue carpet was in the center, while to it's left and right sides were church benches. At the end of the room was a huge pipe organ instrument, that had a huge church bell above it, with someone standing in front of it, with a casket with a hole on it, behind the person. The person also had a huge metal treasure chest in front of them as well. It looked like a clergyman with a black robe, black pants and shoes, blonde hair, white scarf, and a black hat.

"Now let us pray... oh yes!" the clergyman yelled enthusiastically in a southern accent, as he turned around, and revealed his face was rather freaky looking, as his eyes and mouths were stitched. It also revealed it had four arms as it leaped high into the air and landed into the hole onto the coffin, and each hand now held a colored bible. Each bible being the color red, blue, yellow, or green. This was the Merciful Clergyman. The Shadow that was the guardian of the Group Date Cafe labyrinth. The atmosphere had suddenly changed from one of a romantic wedding, to one of a situation, where big trouble was about to start up.

"What!?" Fuuka yelled out with her eyes in shock, while Minato scowled at the sight of the Shadow.

"I finally managed to reestablish contact with you two. Look out! That is the guardian of this labyrinth! This is impossible for just the two of you!" Rise shouted to them, as she was finally able to reach them, with her Persona's abilities.

"Time out! Time out!" Yelled a familiar voice, that belonged to Chie. Minato and Fuuka turned around to hear the closed doors they entered through earlier, being banged on, before they saw everybody else crash into the church.

"Hold the wedding!" Yukiko exclaimed as the rest of SEES, along with the Investigation Team, and the duo of Rei and Zen finally caught up to them, gasping out of breath. By this point, Fuuka was so shocked by what was happening, her hands became unstuck with Minato's hands. "Are you two okay? You must have been under the enemy's confusion spell. We all came to rescue you both!"

"Confusion spell?" Fuuka replied hesitantly, feeling a bit hurt. She knew that Yukiko didn't mean to make her feel this way, but the fact that what she brought up was a possibility, meant that everything that just happened between herself and Minato wasn't possibly real, really put a damper on her mood. The attention then shifted to the Shadow, as it continued to shout.

"Time to say your vows. **TIME TO SAY YOUR VOWS!**" The Merciful Clergyman exclaimed. It however did something that the members of SEES did not expect, as this did not occur in their actual real world encounter, many years ago. The Merciful Clergyman put away its books and suddenly dashed forward fast. Everyone's eyes went wide, as the Merciful Clergyman suddenly grabbed Fuuka, and then tossed her high at the church bell above the pipe organ and treasure chest. She flailed her arms wildly as she was being thrown high into the air and luckily grabbed onto the clapper part of the bell, as it now swung slowly, within the huge church bell. Fuuka looked extremely frightened and was hanging on for dear life. Even though this technically wasn't the real Fuuka, Minato felt his boiling point rise, as he could never stand to see her in danger. It also made him and the other SEES members realize that, these dreams that were based off these real situations could turn out differently.

"In sickness? Splendid! In health? Magnificent! Prepare to meet your maker, for now you shall die!" The Merciful Clergyman exclaimed to Fuuka as he picked up his four colored bibles. The poor girl just screamed in fear, as she continued to hold on, as she knew she would not survive a fall that high, if she were to let go, while everyone else looked really angry.

"Orpheus! Save Fuuka now!" Minato yelled out, as he took out his Evoker and used it immediately on himself. Minato's personal Persona showed up, as the being with the harp headed towards her. However the Merciful Clergyman then created a large barrier, that formed behind him, and in front of the pipe organ, treasure chest, and church bell, preventing Orpheus from saving Fuuka, as the Persona couldn't reach her unfortunately. "Damn it! Let's take out this Shadow as fast as possible everyone. Hopefully that will bring down that barrier!"

A long and arduous battle occurred between the many fighters and the Merciful Clergyman. Despite their strength in numbers, the Shadow had some sneaky tricks up it's sleeves, as it "vowed," to make sure that they couldn't do certain actions at times. Rise had managed to find out that the Shadow's weakness was electricity, so Minato made sure that Akihiko, Ken, Yu, and Kanji had priority in terms of being on the offensive as their Personas has such elemental abilities. Everyone either attacked from a distance, or were on support duty in some way, as they all worked together to take down the Merciful Clergyman. As soon as the battle was over, the barrier shattered, allowing them to get at the treasure chest, and more importantly save Fuuka. By this point, her strength from holding on was nearly gone as her fingers began to slip.

"**AHHH!**" Fuuka screamed out in fear, as she found herself falling and closing her eyes. Minato from where he was immediately ran and leaped for her, desperate to catch her. With what was a combination of pure luck, love, and determination, he managed to catch her, as he slid on the ground, with dust picking up. He had also pulled her into a hug, to reassure her once more, that everything would be fine. Fuuka slowly opened her eyes and smiled immensely to see that her prince Minato, had managed to save her. "Thank you Minato-kun... I'm really sorry,"

"Sorry? What are you talking about," Minato whispered gently back confused, as everyone now surrounded the two, concerned. They both got up from the ground with Fuuka looking at the floor. "What are you sorry for Fuuka? You're the victim,"

"If... I didn't get so entranced by... the fake wedding... then I wouldn't have caused that unnecessary burden on you guys, by what just happened," Fuuka said, as she felt guilty for what just occurred. Minato however gave her a gentle warm hug, that surprised her. "Minato-kun?"

"It's fine Fuuka. Don't always look down on yourself. I will always believe in you," Minato said very kindly, as her eyes lit up in response. "None of us blame you for what happened, and you shouldn't blame yourself either,"

"Yeah. Don't worry Fuuka. Besides... maybe one day you two will be in a real wedding? We'll all be there for you two!" Yukari teased, causing both Minato and Fuuka to blush immensely. The Investigation Team members along with Rei had a happy huge grin while Zen had a calm smile on his face, as they were all happy to see that everything worked out, while the rest of SEES were glad to see she was alright.

They then turned their attention to the treasure chest, that the guardian was guarding. They all noted that this one had a lock (which was also different from their real world encounter) and they decided to carry it back to outside of the labyrinth, so they could have it with them to figure out how to open later. Junpei, Akihiko, Shinjiro, Yosuke, and Kanji all worked together to help carry the large metal treasure chest back, as they left the labyrinth. They were all back, and decided to split up for a bit. The Investigation Team volunteered to bring the metal treasure chest to Margaret and Marie at this world's Velvet Room, and ask them if they could help break the lock. SEES opted to rest in the classroom they would all sleep and rest at, with Rei and Zen joining them. Right now, everyone was sitting down as they were pretty tired and were sleeping. Minato and Fuuka were both awake as they talked to each other quietly, while Rei was watching Zen sleep.

"Minato... thanks again. I can't express how much it means to me, when you saved me again," Fuuka whispered to him, as she referred to the time that he and the others saved her from Tartarus. Minato smiled once more, as hearing that from her, has made him really happy.

"No problem Fuuka. You'll always be my princess," Minato whispered back. Fuuka blushed once more, while Rei smiled for the two and giggled. Rei then turned her attention to Zen, and pouted as she looked at him. She hoped he would get the message one day, that she might have had deeper feeling for him. Rei then had an idea in mind, as she said something to get both their attention.

"I'm going to get ice cream for the wedding couple! I'll be back!" Rei said, as she left the room. Both blushed, but found themselves smiling at the thought. They found each other staring at each other, and then Fuuka unknowingly locked her hands with Minato again. But this time, she showed no hesitation. She then leaned her face closer to Minato, and found herself drawn. Without any hesitation, she gave Minato a gentle peck on his lips, which he responded too in kind. Minato was so happy that she had gained some self confidence, after what happened. She then found herself sleeping on his shoulder, as her eyes closed. The other SEES members had wakened up and saw the two like this.

"You two are as close as ever," Mitsuru stated with a smile as Minato nodded towards her with a smirk, with Fuuka still sleeping. "It's a shame that after this adventure, we were all forced to forget it. I suppose I'll give The Master that much praise, for allowing us to recall this incident finally,"

"Should we plan an actual wedding, once this is all over?" Aigis stated with curiosity and a smile. Minato found himself turning into a tomato, and had a sheepish smile on his face. The others laughed softly in response. Suddenly without warning, a flash of teal blue light occurred in the room, causing everyone but Fuuka and Zen (since both were still sleeping) to cover their eyes. As the teal blue light was gone, they all noticed something in the middle of the floor, that wasn't there before.

"It's a bronze key?" Ken said with curiosity. Koromaru walked over to the key, and picked it up with his mouth. He then walked it over to Minato, and gave it to him to overlook. It was a bronze key that had it's tail end, the letter Q. Everyone stared curiously at the key, as they still wondered what the letter Q meant. He then placed the key into his pocket, securing it for now. Suddenly Rei came back holding two ice cups of ice cream.

"Hey guys! The vendors had a new flavor of ice cream. It's quince flavor!" Rei exclaimed as she handed Minato his and Fuuka's cup of ice cream, that both had a blue plastic spoon in them. They stared blankly at the ice cream, and wondered what a quince was as it gave off a strong exotic fruit flavor. Was that what Q stood for of all things? A quince? He still appreciated it, as he knew Fuuka had a big sweet tooth, befitting her sweet personality and being. "Also I ran into Yu and the others. They said they want us all to meet up in the Velvet Room. Let's go!"

Rei shook Zen to wake him up, and hurriedly dragged him out. Before the others could say or do anything, suddenly that door they entered to get to where they currently were, appeared. This time the door was now white instead of black, and all the shadow like darkness was gone from it. They all turned to each other, and nodded. It seemed they have accomplished what they needed to do here. Minato placed the ice cream to the side, and carefully picked up Fuuka, and carried her to the makeshift bed belonging to her in the room. He placed her down carefully. He then turned toward his cup of ice cream and decided to try a bit out. It was sour and sweet but a unique taste, that he found himself enjoying. He then walked over to Fuuka and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, that made his companions smile and felt happy. They all then entered the white door, and it soon dissipated into nothing, leaving Fuuka as the only one in the room. She found herself smiling as she said one quiet thing to herself.

"Minato my prince... I love you so much." Fuuka whispered in her sleep, as this dream version of her now slept peacefully.

* * *

"And that's how it happened," Yu said, as he had finished telling the story involving the Group Date Cafe labyrinth. Everyone had a smile, as they recalled the fake wedding with Minato and Fuuka. It was such a happy moment sort of, despite it being a trap.

"One day, those two better get married for real!" Rise exclaimed, as she was a big romantic. "They're so cute when together and practically made for each other!"

"Would we be invited to their wedding?" Teddie said, as he thought it over. The others nodded, seeing no reason why not. "Great! Maybe I have a chance to score with the bridesmaids!"

"Get real Teddie. I highly doubt that will ever happen," Yosuke teased with a laugh. "Still... hearing about what happened in the past during that Group Date Cafe labyrinth from our leader... maybe it wasn't all that bad, if those two had their moment like that. It helped them get even closer,"

"Indeed. Even if they did forget about those events initially, the fact of the matter is, we now all remember them now," Naoto stated.

"I guess that's a nice thing The Master did for us all." Yukiko added. "He's the only reason the Shadow Operatives and all of us now remember that incident,"

"Yeah... but I'm still worried about Minato. He's going to be fighting The Master at the end of the year," Chie said. "None of us, even know what The Master looks like,"

"Well if anyone can take on The Master, it's Minato! That guy is pretty badass like Yu sempai!" Kanji exclaimed as he pumped his fists into the air. Yu couldn't help but chuckle in response to that.

"I suppose that's a positive way of looking at it. I have faith in Minato to defeat him as well. Still... we should get back on topic in regards to us, not being able to summon our Personas," Yu said, as the Investigation Team nodded in agreement.

* * *

We now briefly rewind the clock to the moment after Fuuka was knocked out by Brawler, when she was thrown into the bookshelf. We see an unknown location as we see someone slowly but surely waking up. Her head was in pain, as she held it with one arm. It was Fuuka but somethings definitely looked different about her, as she gasped in realization. She was still her high school self, but for some reason wore a tattered teal blue chiton (a simple Ancient Greek tunic like garment) over her body, as she now felt way more vulnerable, compared to before. She looked around, and noticed she was what appeared to be a huge and wide pitch black factory like warehouse. What was more perplexing was that she was locked up in a square iron barred cage, with a lock on the door in the front.

"Where am I?" Fuuka weakly whispered, as she felt confused and nervous. Suddenly she heard a deep laugh, that sounded familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. She turned around and really gasped in shock at what she saw. It was a women who was slightly taller then her, that was the same height when she was an adult during the incidents in Inaba involving the fighting tournaments, that wore a dark teal mechanical engineer uniform. She wore dark teal shoes, dark teal fingerless gloves, and a dark teal cap that covered her teal blue hair that had a long braid she recognized, as her own when she was older. This person... looked exactly like her adult self, except her eyes were a piercing yellow, and wore this mechanical engineer uniform.

"Looks like the wimpy little princess finally woke up," the other version of herself teased, with a taunting smirk.

"Who... who are you?" Fuuka asked, but she had a strong feeling she already knew the answer to that. She felt immensely scared and confused now, as she knew that the being she was staring at... was her Shadow. Shadow Fuuka chuckled in response.

"Me? Oh don't mind me. Just someone who wants to be in the spotlight for once! Who wants to blow away the world with her work and become a star like the others! Someone who is going to do what it takes to be with Minato forever, no matter what!" Shadow Fuuka angrily taunted. Fuuka was about to respond to those claims, till she held her tongue. That was exactly what her Shadow wanted. Shadow Fuuka looked frustrated from what she just saw, but then smirked.

"Fine. Have it your way, you little princess. You know what I said is the truth and is how you really feel... or perhaps it's rather how I feel? Regardless, I have the brains to handle this situation in more then one way. With or without you," Shadow Fuuka taunted. Shadow Fuuka, took out what appeared to be her own Evoker, and used it own herself. A version of Juno appeared behind Shadow Fuuka, but this one had a major difference. Inside the orb within Juno, that Fuuka would normally be in, housed what appeared to be a slimy mass of a Shadow with a red priestess mask. Soon a shadow like darkness covered the orb, preventing Fuuka from seeing what was happening to that Shadow. Soon Shadow Fuuka's Juno dissipated and in it's place was something that looked familiar, yet looked extremely creepy.

"I call these brand of Shy Guys, Priestess Guys! Pretty fitting don't you think?" Shadow Fuuka taunted as she pointed at the newly formed Shadow. It was a Shadow that now resembled a Shy Guy (as she remembered seeing the Shy Guy racers during the Mario Circuit match, that had been between Minato and Ken against Palutena and Bowser Jr.) that wore dark teal robes, and had dark blue shoes. Instead of the usual cute white masks that Shy Guys wore, it instead had a red priestess mask that some Shadows had, worn over it's face. Fuuka felt nervous to see such a creature. "I'm going to be making many loyal Priestess Guys! Then I'm going to get them to work on my first mechanical marvel, that I'm then going to use, to make the world give me the respect I deserve!"

"Mechanical marvel?" Fuuka said, still feeling scared. Shadow Fuuka nodded with arrogance, as the lights in the factory opened up, and now she saw various power tools scattered about. Shadow Fuuka then took out her Evoker once more, as she summoned her version of Juno once more, as she wanted more Priestess Guys created.

"Yes. The machine to show the world, that Fuuka Yamagishi is not to be messed with! I'll be glad to show you the blueprint designs later. You may even recognize it from your memories. I'm now going to give you some alone time," Shadow Fuuka taunted angrily. She then summoned a large blue tarp, grabbed it, and placed it over the cage, Fuuka was in, so she couldn't see anything outside. "Till then, I'll give you some time to reflect. Maybe you'll change your tune later, and say the stuff I want you to say or when you're ready to be voluntarily willing to do it. Either way until that happens... lights out princess!"

Fuuka curled up into a ball, as her cage went dark. She wrapped her arms around her own body, trying to calm herself down. She didn't know what was fully going, but she definitely didn't like this current situation. She had tears emerge from her eyes, as her thoughts went to only one person, and one person alone, that she desperately wanted to be with at the moment. Her prince. A prince named Minato.

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**So what did you guys think? Notes as always.  
**

**1\. Fuuka with the Greek dress is suppose to symbolize how Persona 3 has kind of a Greek theme (as many of the Party members Personas are after Greek figures or entities.) Plus to show her extreme vulnerability as her dress is a bit tattered, and feels more exposed compared to before.**

**2\. Shadows in the Persona series are usually aligned with an Arcana, usually denoted by the mask they wear. Shy Guys from the Mario series wear masks so... figure it be a neat idea to create Shadows that resembled Shy Guys. Give it a bit of that Nintendo flair, as it were. After all, Super Mario Bros 2, was a dream, and involved a lot of Shy Guys as well. I wonder what those Priestess Guys are going to be building for Shadow Fuuka...**

**3\. Technically the Q, in Persona Q, is suppose to represent the Etrian Odyssey series (which is also made by Atlus), that Persona Q's gamplay is mainly based off, aside from Persona 3 &amp; Persona 4. The Japanese title for Etrian Odyssey, is Sekaiju no Meikyū. The Japanese title is commonly abbreviated as SQ (as Q represents the "****kyū" part of Meiky****ū, phonetically in English). But that wouldn't make much sense in the context of this story. So I had Q represent quince. An uncommon fruit that has actual ice cream made of it. Weird, but it works.  
**

**4\. Instinct and Longing plays on the 4th and 5th Floor of the Group Date Cafe labyrinth in Persona Q. It felt very fitting, as it has a serious and calming vibe, befitting such an area. Plus I feel the title, reflects on both Minato and Fuuka's true feelings for each other, as they both really care for each other.**

**Well that about wraps this chapter up. Like always, if you have anything you want to comment on, go for it. Otherwise, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and the story so far. Till next chapter!**


	28. Minato vs The Rule Smashing Pun Machine

**Chapter 28 is finally here! Addressing reviews before we move onto the next chapter.**

**From CgStryker, will Death show up? I wasn't planning on it, but I'm sure I can find a way to reference that being. As for why Shadow Fuuka is a mechanical engineer, Fuuka is revealed to be going to college for engineering in Ultimax. So it is in character for her, and still based off canon. Plus it's to help setup for next chapter. The Priestess Guys was a neat way to give a bit it more of an actual crossover aspect.**

**From the Guest who asked about that certain king of evil, not likely. Sorry man. Maybe I can find a way to reference him, but he was not a character I planned to be too involved or at all really. We'll see though. Regarding your request with Ryu, Minato, and Akihiko, I also looked up what "omake," meant and... basically bonus/extra chapters right? I kind of toyed with the idea to an extent. Besides the P4 story that would be similar to this (to an extent of course), I had also considered making a story where it focuses on the cast doing more side things on the side, for goofy, emotional, and various moments as a side story. It focus more on the other SEES members more and such. Still we'll see if that pans out. That and bonus/extra chapters for this story in general. It sounds fun though.**

**Thanks to everyone reading this story so far. Quick note, this and the next, as well as the previous one, are a bit focused on the Persona side of the story, but rest assured this story is still a crossover between both (I felt the earlier chapters leaned toward the Smash Bros side more). Also this chapter will reveal who the murderer of Persona 4 is (if you already don't know), so if you don't want that to be spoiled, keep that in mind. As always, if you guys have anything you want to say, comment, and such, go for it. Otherwise I hope you guys enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

The Investigation Team were still in Elizabeth and Theodore's makeshift Velvet Room, at the Langham Place hotel. They were still discussing their current situation, as they were on the topic of them not being able to summon their Personas still, after discussing the Group Date Cafe labyrinth incident.

"But getting back on track... when I think about it, that the rules of that alternate Yasogami High world allowed us to use our Persona's abilities despite it, not being the Midnight Channel." Yosuke stated.

"Well I wouldn't say that was the only time we could use our Personas outside of the Midnight Channel," Yukiko stated.

"What do you mean, Yukiko sempai?" Kanji asked confused. Rise rolled her eyes once more, as she couldn't believe Kanji forgot an even more recent incident.

"She's talking about the P-1 Climax Kanji! Did you hit your head on the floor, back in the movie theater when we all crashed onto the ground?" Rise said annoyed. Kanji looked annoyed and was about to retort angrily, till Chie decided to interrupt him.

"Anyway... that's right. We were all able to use our Personas in the real world during that incident. It was because of that red fog right?" Chie said.

"Correct. The red fog which was being created due to the involvement of the instigators behind that incident, allowed us to use our Persona abilities," Naoto stated calmly. "Hi-no-kagutsuchi and Sho Minazuki,"

"Well good thing that Katgutsuchi guy went down in the end. Impersonating me should be a crime!" Teddie said, as during the P-1 Climax incident, the deity known as Hi-no-kagutsuchi, who tried to help Sho achieve his wish of the destruction of world (and for his own desire to burn the world), impersonated Teddie as General Teddie.

"Though I wonder where Sho is at the moment, now that I think about it? He's probably frozen in time as well, with everyone else back in our world," Chie pondered out loud. "I bet he would love to be in this Super Smash Bros tournament, since he loves fighting so much,"

"I bet he love to "sho" up to it!" Yukiko teased, as they recalled that Sho loved to make puns, especially ones revolving around his name. Yukiko began to laugh at her own joke, while everyone else just sighed. It seemed she was having one of her laughing fits, she was prone to having once in a while.

"That wasn't "beary," funny Yuki-chan," Teddie said, as he even felt the pun was lacking.

"Can I say a pun? I was thinking of making some since Teddie always has his bear puns?" Kanji asked. Yosuke groaned as he was sick of hearing puns at the moment.

"Enough with the puns everyone. No more," Yosuke whined.

"We should really get back to the main discussion on hand, regarding Sho and our inability to use our Personas in this world so far," Naoto stated, to get everyone back on track.

"I bet Sho would have loved to be a part of Super Smash Bros." Yu said, as he began to wonder about the red haired boy. "I wonder what Shinjiro and Minato would think of him, if they met him during that incident?"

"I bet Shinjiro-san would be really annoyed by him and all his lame puns, if I had to take a guess." Rise said. "As for Minato... huh. That's a good question. What would Minato think of Sho?"

* * *

The SEES members were now back on the flowery plains, as they stared at the door they just exited out of. Just like the door they entered from Fuuka's dream version of the alternate Yasogami High, it was now white and didn't have anymore shadowy like darkness coming out of it. They turned their attention to the door with the red priestess mask on it, and with the bronze and silver chains and locks. Minato slowly walked up to that door, and took out the bronze key he had just found before. Without hesitation, he tried it on the bronze lock, and as he had hoped, it unlocked. He removed the lock, and soon the bronze chains dissipated into nothing. All that remained were the silver chains and lock. Minato looked back towards the others and they all had a big grin on their faces.

"It is as Mitsuru-san hypothesized, the other doors have the keys to opening this door... quite literally in this case," Aigis stated. Koromaru barked to her, as she translated for the dog. "Koromaru is sure the door with the plaque that says P-1 Climax should hold the silver key, needed to open this last lock."

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go get that silver key, and save Fuuka!" Junpei proclaimed heroically as he rushed up to the door that had that plaque and the silver door handle. However when he went up to it, something unexpected occurred, as no one saw this coming. Junpei crashed into an invisible wall that was apparently in front of that door, knocking him to the ground.

"**OWW!** What the hell?" Junpei whined as the others went to where he was, as both Yukari and Aigis helped him up. "Why does this door have an invisible barrier in front of it?"

"That's unexpected. I didn't see that coming," Akihiko pondered, as he carefully placed his hand forward, at the spot where Junpei was knocked down at. Sure enough he felt an invisible glass like barrier there. "Pretty weird. The door with the plaque that said Q, didn't have this. What gives?"

The rest of the SEES members stood nearby Akihiko and performed the same motion. They all found out, they were touching some sort of invisible barrier, except for one person. Minato found that his hand wouldn't touch some sort of invisible barrier for some reason.

"What does this mean?" Ken asked curiously, as everyone turned to look at him. "Why are we all touching some invisible barrier, except Minato?"

"I guess Minato will have a solo mission." Shinjiro said with a shrug. "The rules of a dream world, are ones not meant to be understood sometimes,"

"Best of luck Arisato. We all have complete faith in you," Mitsuru said with a smirk, that Minato responded back in kind. He looked at all his companions, and they smirked back in confidence. Minato looked towards the door with the silver door handle. It was now or never. He slowly walked up to it, gripped the silver door handle, and slowly turned it. Just like the other door, more darkness lie shadows, emerged from it, making everyone feel briefly tense, as it eventually stopped. It was a pitch black tunnel, that had a brief but bright white light. He entered and closed the door, and slowly walked forward. He eventually reached the end of the white light at the end, and emerged in a new location.

* * *

Minato found himself in a peculiar location, which had an atmosphere that was way more tense compared to the one before. He was in a school hallway, that had yellow tape strew all over, saying P-1 Climax. He also noticed that the sky outside was filled with red fog, that made the whole outside look like if the end of the world was coming.

"Looks and feels like the Dark Hour, besides everything being nearly... red," Minato said quietly to himself, as he began to recall some of the details, the others involved with this incident, told him. A boy named Sho Minzauki, wanted the destruction of the world. He had help from an entity, who wanted the same, so they worked together to be the cause of this incident. The location he was currently in, was a transformed version of Yasogami High, turned into a tower that was reminiscent of Tartarus. Sho would also force the Persona users involved in this incident, to fight fake versions of themselves and others, to supposedly carve off fragments from their Personas, to help make a new body for the entity that wished to end the world as well. Thankfully due to the combined efforts of the Investigation Team, and the Shadow Operatives that the rest of his SEES friends, aside from Shinjiro and himself (due to passing away and all), managed to put an end to this incident. Sho then went missing afterwards, as no one knew his current location, but they were sure he was still alive. Thankfully he calmed down after the incident, as Yu and the others had managed to calm him down, and change his way of thinking.

"Anyone I encounter here, will be a dream version, and not the real one. Guess I better get moving and keep that in mind," Minato said to himself as he began to walk around, exploring the area he was in. He walked and walked, and seemed to be alone. He finally came up to a classroom door. He decided to check it out, and see what was inside. He opened the door, went inside, and was greeted with another bizarre, but this time familiar sight. He was now in what appeared to be Club Escapade. Club Escapade was separated into two floors. The bottom floor had a stage (for performers to perform on), a dance floor area nearby with various colored spotlights from the ceilings, illuminating the area, and finally a bar. The second floor, which you took a staircase to the left side of the entrance to get up too, had red couches and a table where one can relax, that also allowed you to overlook the bottom floor, as it only was partially at the top.

He looked around, as he was reminded of the time he interacted with an interesting monk, who liked to drink and smoke, before helping him resolve his issues. It also reminded him of the time, he and the others, had a full moon operation here, where they all worked together to defeat another powerful Shadow, who was feeding on the electricity in the wiring room. He then heard two voices, arguing with each other, prompting him to head to the second floor of this recreated Club Escapade. He carefully overlooked the bottom floor, as he saw two individuals he didn't recognize, carrying someone tied to a black metal cross with rope, he did recognize. That person he recognized being Fuuka, though she looked older and a bit different, as he had never seen her older self till now. He liked the new attire, and the braid she wore, but focused more on the fact that she seemed to be knocked out, and in pain. He scowled at the sight, and a part of himself now wished he was present at the actual P-1 Climax, to save her and everyone else as well. He also quickly reminded himself that they were all dream versions, and weren't the real ones. The two people carrying her, then began to speak to each other.

"Why didn't you get one of them fake Shadow clone flunkies, to carry this person here? I didn't want to be busted out of prison just to do menial work like this," whined the young adult. He had black hair, and gray eyes. He wore a black suit with a white long sleeved shirt, a red tie that was a bit crooked, black pants, and finally brown shoes. He also had a brown gun holster, for a pistol that was currently in it. Minato was pretty sure, from what he heard from the other SEES members, that this guy was Tohru Adachi. Someone else also involved in the P-1 Climax incident, and was behind the the Inaba murder mystery incident in 2011. Tohru Adachi was a detective that worked in Inaba, that was discovered to be the culprit behind two murders that happened there. He apparently somehow managed to escape prison, during the P-1 Climax, and had also gotten involved.

"That's actually a good... shut up Adachi! I'm the one in charge and what I say goes!" replied the other individual annoyed, while Adachi rolled his eyes in response. The other person looked way more peculiar, compared to Adachi. He had bright red hair, gray eyes, and an x-shaped scar of all things over his face. He wore dark green collar shirt that had black sleeves, black pants, Yasogami High jacket worn around his waist, and yellow sneakers. He also had two sheaths that that had two katanas placed into them. Minato was pretty sure, based on the description he heard from the others, that this was the so called Sho Minazuki. "Let's just carry this bitch and place her on the damn stage already!"

Minato felt his eyes furrow in response, from what he just heard. He then watched them place the cross that held the bound Fuuka, upright on stage. Adachi wiped his face, as he felt a bit tired, while Sho looked pleased.

"So what's the purpose of placing these captured people all over this tower again?" Adachi asked.

"I'm not telling you, till you actually get more involved, you lazy bum," Sho replied angrily. "Just be glad I decided to bust you out of prison, for this hell of a night!"

"Yeah yeah. We'll see how that goes," Adachi replied annoyed. "By the way... what's the deal with this girl? She didn't have any weapons on her... or was made of weapons like that blonde robot chick,"

"Huh? Oh this useless bitch?" Sho replied, causing Minato to grit his teeth in anger. "She's some navigator or something for the rest of them Kirijo lackeys. If you ask me, she seems pretty pointless."

"Well whatever you say, but that seems pretty harsh don't you think?" Adachi replied back. Sho narrowed his eyes at Adachi.

"Are you on my side, or the side of those Kirijo lapdogs?" Sho asked. "Like I said, she seems pretty pointless. What's she going to do? Point out how much better, the rest of her team is, compared to her? Just be their cheerleader and nothing more? Please. She's just more trash, amongst all the other trash in this world right now,"

Suddenly everyone in the room, began to hear Fuuka, as she groaned in pain. Both Adachi and Sho looked towards her. She seemed to be in immense exhaustion and pain from everything that happened to her earlier. Sho however just smirked.

"Is the useless bitch waking up? Doesn't matter with you anyway. Even if you got out, it's not like you be able to do much here," Sho taunted. Fuuka slowly opened her eyes, as she saw the two men. She looked exhausted as her eyes, showed how tired she felt. "Then again, I don't think you or any of your Kirijo pals, are going to be escaping anytime soon. So relax... enjoy the wild ride! This night is going to end in a huge world ending bang!"

Sho began to walk away, with Adachi shrugging, and he soon followed. However both stopped, once Fuuka said something, that caught their attention.

"That's... not... right," Fuuka weakly said, as her body tensed in pain. For Minato, it was painful to see her like this, even if this was another dream version of her. Sho turned around and walked towards her, looking frustrated.

"What's not right? Destroying the world? This shitty ass world, that is just full of trash!? I'm just taking it all out!" Sho angrily yelled back. "I'll show you what happens to trash! Starting with you!"

Sho walked over to Fuuka, and had his hand stretched out, ready to hit her. Fuuka closed her eyes in fear, while Adachi was trying to calm the red head down. Minato had enough, as he decided to intervene. He leaped from the 2nd floor of Club Escapade, and now landed in front of Fuuka with his own sword drawn out. Fuuka was surprised by what she saw, while Sho and Adachi stopped in place, wondering who this guy was.

"Minato!?" Fuuka yelled out in complete surprise. This dream version of her, was surprised by what she saw, as this version had seen her lover pass away, so long ago. Before she could say anymore, she passed out in exhaustion, while Minato glared at Sho. Both Sho and Adachi looked perplexed at who this person was, till Sho decided to question this new individual.

"Who the hell are you!? Another one of those damn Kirijo lapdogs!?" Sho questioned loudly. Minato however kept glaring back, which only caused Sho to backup a bit. "Damn! Take a chill pill man! Why don't we work something out, new guy? You see... I'm planning to kind of... make the world we're currently in go bye bye, and make a new one in it's place. I'll let you be a part of this new world if you join me. So what do you say?"

"Not interested. You and your partner in crime, better leave this room now," Minato coldly replied back, as he still held his own sword drawn out. Sho gritted his teeth in frustration, while Adachi looked uneasy. Adachi in all reality was not wanting to support Sho, and was trying to find out a way to stop him, to help atone for his previous crimes.

"Hey! Don't lump me with this kiddo. I got way more class then that!" Adachi whined, while Sho looked annoyed by what he just heard.

"Why don't you actually be useful Adachi, and use that damn gun of yours, I managed to get for you? Shoot that emo looking pretty boy!" Sho asked annoyed.

"I feel kind of pooped after carrying that cross with that bound girl earlier and am in a particularly lazy mood at the moment. If you want to do anything, be my guest," Adachi replied back with a smirk. Sho looked really annoyed now, but decided to focus back on Minato, who was still glaring at him. He took out both his katanas from his sheaths, and Minato noted they had serrated edges near their hilt, on Sho's blades.

"Fine you lazy bum. I'll take care of this punk myself!" Sho yelled out. Minato leaped to the dance floor, with Sho doing the same. They both began to circle each other, while Adachi decided to sit on the stage and watch the fight, that was about to start. "So... that trashy girl said your name before, didn't she? Minato was it? You're messing with the wrong guy pal. I mean, the fact I got two swords, while you only got one, doesn't concern you?"

"You're the one, messing with the wrong person," Minato replied back with a cold smirk, which only seemed to unnerve Sho. "You and your partner in crime, better get the hell out of this room now, before I show you what I really am,"

"We'll see about that punk! Let's go!" Sho yelled out. He ran towards Minato and went for a stab with both blades. Minato parried, with his own sword, as he lunged for Sho. Sho did the same, and soon the two were clashing with their blades, as the sound of sharp metal colliding was heard. Sho having enough, leaped back and decided to do a different tactic.

"Not bad. But how about this!?" Sho yelled out, as he took a knife from his jacket's pocket, and immediately tossed it toward Minato's direction. Minato just ducked, to avoid the knife. He then took out his own Evoker and decided to give Sho some projectiles to deal with as well.

"Garuda! Arrow Rain Sho!" Minato shouted out, as he used his Evoker on himself. A humanoid like bird with large wings appeared, summoning a bunch of energy based projectiles, that resembled arrows, and launched them at Sho. Sho, frantically ran, and leaped to the 2nd floor, to dodge the projectile assault.

"Tch. So you are one of them Kirijo lapdogs. The other ones had that same damn thing on them as well," Sho said, as he now noted Minato's Evoker from what he just saw. "Well... I'm tempted to let..."him"... handle things, since he's got our Persona, but I think I can take you on, regardless without it,"

Minato recalled from what he heard from the others, that Sho had a bit of a split personality. His other personality, went by his last name, Minazuki. Minazuki unlike Sho, was calm and collected, and took things more seriously compared to his wild counterpart. This split personality was born inside of Sho, due to experiments performed on him, due to someone who was known as Ikutski, wanting to perform research on something known as the Plume of Dusks on human test subjects, with Sho being a test subject. Minazuki was the one, who was able to summon their Persona, though thankfully Sho's cockiness was preventing him from switching to his other self.

"Alright you blue haired punk. Let's continue our little face off!" Sho taunted, as he leaped from the 2nd floor, at where Minato was at, intending to slam his swords onto him. Minato dodge rolled out of the way, as Sho only managed to slam his swords into the ground. Minato seeing this, ran over to Sho, and quickly tackled into Sho, knocking him away from his swords, and began slamming his fists into him. Adachi who was still watching from the stage, couldn't be happier, as he smirked as Sho got punched.

"Hey Sho! Looks like the new guy is showing you up!" Adachi taunted, as Sho grimaced from both the pain, and annoyance he felt. Having enough, he used both his feet to kick Minato off him, and jumped on Minato, beginning to punch him back. Minato managed to kick Sho off him as well, and both got up to stare at each other, with their faces a bit bruised. Sho then ran back to grab his swords, as he quickly went into a defensive stance.

"Shut up Adachi! Just shut the hell up!" Sho angrily shouted, while Adachi just shrugged with a smirk. Sho then took out another knife, and quickly tossed it at Minato. The blue haired teen once again dodged, but Sho quickly followed up by dashing towards him, and was determined to slice him. Minato quickly took out his sword once more, and dodged, as Sho continued to slam his two katanas wildly at Minato, as he was determined to knock it out of his hands. Minato held his guard, but had to admit, this wasn't looking good for him. Using his other free hand, he grabbed his Evoker and quickly used it on himself, while his other hand still held his one handed sword, to defend the blows. He summoned the being known as Slime that resembled a green pile of sludge with red eyes, to the side of him. The Slime then jumped onto Sho, making the red haired boy freak out, as he backed away, and tried to get the creature off him. Adachi began to laugh wildly, from where he was watching, as he couldn't believe he just saw what happened.

"Looks like the "Sho," just got messy," Adachi taunted with his pun, as he got annoyed by Sho, making puns about his own name before. Sho however was too focused on trying to get the slimy being off him, as he continued to freak out. Minato carefully debated his actions, as Sho stilled struggled. He then came up with the perfect thing to do, as he took out his Evoker once more, as he had the perfect idea in mind.

"Thor! Ziodyne Sho now!" Minato yelled out, as he used his Evoker on himself, as he summoned the electrical being, that wore a golden metal armor piece, golden helmet, white gloves, shoes, and a white scarf. The being held a stone hammer, that soon launched electricity at Sho, who no longer had the Slime on him, and began to spazz out, as he was shocked rather violently. Soon Sho fell to the ground, panting, and looking really angry.

"That's it! No more mister nice Sho! I'll slice, dice, and turn you into a pile of blood, that's going to be mopped up!" Sho yelled out. Sho began to toss many knifes he had on him, at Minato, desperate to land a hit on him. Minato began to run, as he headed for the second floor. Once up there, Sho followed him in pursuit, as both began to clash with each others blades once more. Sho decided to mix it up a little, as he managed to slam his right foot into Minato, and sent the teen onto the lower level with a pained thud, as Minato grunted in pain. Sho then noticed one of the light fixtures, in the fake Club Escapade was right above Minato. Sho grinned viciously as he had an idea in mind.

"Say hello to the spotlight!" Sho taunted, as he took out another knife, and tossed it towards that light fixture, that was bound to the ceiling. With luck, the light fixture soon fell. Minato immediately rolled out of the way, as he was barely crushed by it. Sho frowned, but quickly looked to see if Minato was under any other light fixtures as he surveyed the other light fixtures on the ceiling. While Sho did this, Minato took out his Evoker once more, as he had another idea in mind.

"Titania! Magurula Sho!" Minato ordered, as he summoned a being that resembled a women, in a green dress, blonde hair, and white insect like wings. The being summoned a large blast of wind right at Sho, covering the whole area. Sho had no where to run, as he tried to not get blown away, as he placed his katanas back into his sheaths, and covered his face, and tried to get back to the first floor. But it was futile, as he soon felt himself, pushed back, as he slammed into the wall right above a red couch, which he ended up falling into at the end.

"That's probably the best thing I've seen all day. Maybe that damn brat will actually calm down, with a nap," Adachi said, as he was definitely enjoying this fight he was watching so far. Minato ignored Adachi, as he quickly ran up the stairs. He saw that Sho seemed to be out cold. Minato sighed as he put away his sword, and carefully walked over to Sho, and decided to check if he was really knocked out. He placed two fingers, on an artery on Sho's neck, and checked if he was still living as well. He felt a pulse and sighed. While he was glad to have knocked this dream version out, he didn't want to kill him. Minato turned around and was about to walk away, till he felt himself get tackled down, and instantly regretted his choice to check on the red haired individual.

"You think I go down that easily? Think again you punk! I'll pound you to bits and then finish you off!" Sho yelled, as he used one arm to pin Minato on the ground, and began to slam his fist into Minato's stomach. Minato began to grunt in pain, as this dream version of Sho, definitely hit hard. He was trapped and was definitely in a bad situation. He tried to reach for his Evoker, but Sho noticing this, immediately grabbed it, and tossed it to the lower floor, as the sound of it hitting the floor could be heard. "Nice try. But you're done for, without that thing on you!"

Sho continued his assualt, and Minato had to admit, this hurt like heck. Soon Sho eventually stopped, as he dropped Minato to the ground, as he was satisfied by his assault, and was confident that Minato would not stand up. Sho then took out both his katanas, as he slowly raised them above Minato. Before Sho could do anything, something happened that took his attention away, as he heard a gunshot ring out, surprising him.

"Hey Sho. Is that really necessary?" Adachi questioned, as he held his pistol, that he had just used. Sho rolled his eyes as he placed his katanas, back into his sheaths and questioned Adachi.

"What are you talking about? This guy is clearly going to get in the way! Why would I not get rid of him now?" Sho questioned with skepticism. Adachi however had a smirk on his face.

"Because... we can use him like bait, like the other people we tied up, isn't that true? For whatever crazy reason, you need those people as bait, we can make him part of that as well," Adachi suggested. Sho considered Adachi's words, before smirking.

"That... that sounds like a great idea actually! Watch him for me will you? I'll get two of those fake Shadows, to carry a cross into this room, with some rope. It's going to take me a bit, so stay here, and watch him Adachi!" Sho yelled out in a enthusiastic response, as he began to walk down the stairs, and soon left the room. Adachi made sure to wait a bit, before he sighed. He then carefully walked over to Minato, and helped him up.

"Why... are you... helping me?" Minato whispered in pain. The dream version of Adachi just shrugged, as he began to walk away.

"I have my reasons. One of them being... you kind of remind me of someone I know. Someone that looks like he should really consider dyeing his hair, if he doesn't want people to think he's already an old man," Adachi said, as Minato realized he was probably referring to Yu. "The other being... well you can probably tell I'm not fond of working with that guy. I do things with my own style. Anyway... I'm still feeling kind of lazy. I think I'm going to find an empty classroom in this tower and take a nap. Take care kiddo,"

With that, Adachi was now gone from the room, as he closed the door, that led into it. Minato sighed, as he realized he had gotten so lucky, with what just happened, as that could have ended so badly. He then walked down to the lower floor, and picked up his Evoker, which was on the dance floor. He noticed it was thankfully still intact, and was not broken. He then walked onto the stage, where Fuuka was still unconscious, and bound to the cross. He carefully and slowly removed the ropes that held her, and soon sat on the ground, as he held the adult version of her, on his lap. He smiled, as he gently cradled here. Fuuka soon tiredly opened her eyes, as she saw the bruised Minato.

"Minato... are you... really here?" she weakly whispered. Minato gently nodded, as he kissed her on the lips, very softly. Fuuka smiled very briefly, but she wondered if this was a dream, or something along those lines. She slowly reached out to touch his face, which he allowed her to do. She felt his face, and was also saddened to see he was hurt.

"Minato... you look hurt," she whispered back saddened. However Minato smiled for her, and told her it was alright. He held her warmly, as he began to hum gently for her. She had tears form in her eyes, as she felt so happy this was happening right now. She didn't care if this was real or fake, it made her so happy to be with him at the moment. She then felt so tired, as she rested her eyes, feeling content. Minato gently and slowly carried her back to the 2nd floor, and laid her down on the red couch, for her to rest. Soon, she was resting peacefully, as Minato smiled at the sight of her like that. Soon a teal blue flash of light occurred, striking the the room with it's presence, as Minato covered his eyes, just like last time. As soon as it was gone, he noticed that he saw a silver key on the floor nearby him, that had the initials of P1 at the end. He grabbed it and placed it into his pocket. A white door soon appeared beside him, that looked very familiar, as it resembled the one he entered to get here, but now it was white and devoid of darkness like shadows. He turned around to look at Fuuka, who was still sleeping very peacefully. He didn't want to leave her, but he knew that if he wanted the real Fuuka to awaken, he had to still take on one more door. It didn't help that Sho said, he was going to be sending Shadow clones to get this dream version of her, even though everything wasn't technically real. He sighed but he knew he had to move on. He pressed forward, and soon entered the door he entered dissipated into nothing When he got back to the others, he was going to need to heal and rest up for a bit, before heading to that last door, and see what was going on with that door.

* * *

The sounds of tools being used and machinery being built could be heard, as Fuuka sat in her cage. She sighed as she couldn't see anything outside. She had lost her concept of time, as it seemed to go, and for some reason, she didn't need to eat or attend to any other bodily needs of hers. She wondered what her Shadow was making exactly. She was even wondering what exactly had happened. Her last thoughts before, this whole situation had led to this, was that she was in the chairmen's office on that stormy day... and she had seen Minato get hurt. Thinking about such a memory, was something she didn't want to recall but... it as the only real one she had, before she found herself in her current situation. Was she still in the real world even? Fuuka still didn't understand what was happening. She was also surprised she didn't catch a cold, with how bare and exposed, her current Greek attire she was wearing, made her feel. She suddenly heard her Shadow's familiar voice, speak to her.

"Well is the little princess ready to help me out?" Shadow Fuuka, taunted from outside her cage. Fuuka held her tongue as she debated how to respond.

"I... I know what you're trying to do, and I won't give in to that," Fuuka responded. Shadow Fuuka just chuckled in response.

"The longer you bottle up how you feel, the worse it's going to get," Shadow Fuuka said in a smug tone. "Why not just make it easy on yourself, and get it out of your system now? You know what I'm saying is all true... or perhaps it's false? But if it was really false, you should be trying to renounce such claims. But I don't see the little girl who grew up, trying to deny such accusations thrown at her,"

Fuuka remained silent, while Shadow Fuuka just chuckled in response. Shadow Fuuka then decided to remove the blue tarp, covering her cage finally. Fukka took a good look at the huge factory like warehouse environment. She saw many Priestess Guys, holding various tools, as they were building many things she now saw. She started looking towards what was apparently the entrance to the huge factory, as she saw many things that caught her attention. Starting with what appeared to be five wooden Airships (that resembled the ones that Bowser Jr. shown her, with drawings) and saw that they were marked with an emblem that resembled that red priestess mask associated with Shadows with the priestess arcana (as opposed to an emblem belonging to Bowser Jr.'s father, that she saw on Junior's drawings). Curiously enough she saw a machine that made her really curious. It seemed to be a circular metal pad, and above it, was a sign that was labeled "Prototype Size Grower." She was about to turn around, and see what was behind her, in the rest of the factory warehouse before, Shadow Fuuka started to talk once more, catching her attention.

"You're probably wondering about what you just saw so far. Got to have things for my loyal Priestess Guys to pilot, to help me out with." Shadow Fuuka explained for the Airships. "As for that device... I'm testing to see if I can make things really big. When it's fully done... maybe I'll go show the world personally... that I'm not some small child, meant to be pushed around by everyone else for no damn reason!"

Fuuka tensed, as she could tell her Shadow was really serious about this. She had hated being pushed around by others in the past, as memories of high school began to flashback. Before meeting her loving friends from SEES, she was treated badly by others, who took advantage of her really kind and gentle nature. She closed her eyes, not wanting to be reminded of such memories.

"But that's not needed at the moment. I think it's time for you to go see what I've been really been working on." Shadow Fuuka taunted. Fuuka opened her eyes, and slowly turned around. Her eyes really opened up, as she recognized the very large sight she saw.

"That's...**THAT'S**-"

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**So that is the end of Chapter 28. What is that machine? We'll find out next chapter. Notes as always.**

**1\. Sho Minazuki is a character that was introduced in Persona 4 Arena Ultimax for the Playstation 3/Xbox 360/Arcade. He has two versions of himself, due to his split personality. Sho which is him without his Persona, and Minazuki who does have their Persona.**

**2\. Minato was not originally part of the Ultimax plot, as he did pass away by that point. It would have been fun, to have him as a bonus fighter (as well as Shinjiro).**

**3\. Adachi is part of the Ultimax plot as well, and is also a downloadable character that allows him to be playable in the game as well. Both Sho and Adachi were the other Persona characters I hinted showing up, even if they're not the real deals.  
**

**Well that's about it for this chapter. What awaits next chapter? Like always, if you have anything to say, go for it. Otherwise, I hope you all enjoyed the story and the newest chapter so far. Till next chapter!**


	29. Giant Fool & The Shadow Priestess

**Chapter 29 is finally here! Sorry for the wait, as I've been very busy with my schedule as of late. I might actually be working at a job soon, which will probably interfere with my schedule more, if I get it. But like I said in the past, this story is one I intend to finish as always. But first, I'll address the reviews for the previous chapter.**

**From Dario Flaman, well the Investigatin Team were a bit more comical compared to SEES. As for what it is... it's not Shadow Minato. It was something mentioned in a previous chapter a while back. You'll find out when reading.**

**From CgStryker... it's not a big deal. Don't worry man.**

**From the Guest who discussed Sho and Fuuka, I definitely see where you are coming from, and agree fully. One of the reasons I wrote this story, is I like to give what I feel are under appreciated and/or not as popular characters, more of the spotlight. An example of that being my one shot story starring Little Mac, back in 2009. Last chapter was most likely Sho's only proper appearance (and not the real one at that) though, to keep in mind, while Fuuka along with Minato, are still the main overall stars. Yes, I definitely would have liked Minato &amp; Shinjiro in Ultimax as characters.**

**Well that's about it. This chapter also has a tune I recommend listening to as well. As always, if you guys have anything you want to say, don't be afraid to do so. Otherwise I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

The Investigation Team were still discussing their situation, as they still had no ability to summon their Personas yet in this world. Naoto was deep in thought as she realized something and decided to say her thoughts on the matter.

"During the P-1 Climax... the reason everybody could summon their Persona in the real world, was due to the influence of the red fog. We as the Investigation Team, can normally only use our Personas in the Midnight Channel. The Shadow Operatives... can use their Personas in the real world any time, with or without the red fog and Midnight Channel," Naoto stated.

"Yes. Yes that's true, but why are you bringing that up?" Yukiko asked curiously. Everyone turned to stare at the teenager detective as she was in deep thought.

"Well... it's something I feel I should have realized earlier. The Shadow Operatives... utilize a device to summon their Personas. The devices that resemble handguns called Evokers," Naoto noted, as everyone's eyes began to light up, as they suddenly realized at what she was getting at.

"Their Evokers allow them to summon their Personas. They can use their Personas in the real world. If we had... our own Evokers... then maybe... we can all do the same?" Yu said, as everyone had a big grin on their faces upon hearing this.

"So... if we all get our own Evokers... we might all be able to summon our own Personas!" Rise exclaimed in excitement.

"Alright Naoto! Way to go!" Chie praised, while Naoto simply shrugged and smiled, happy to have realized such details.

"But... where are we going to get Evokers? Aren't they made by Mit-chan's company?" Teddie questioned.

"That's a good point Teddie. The Kirijo Group doesn't exist in this world, as far as we know." Yosuke also pointed out.

"But the Shadow Operatives have their Evokers on them though?" Kanji said.

"Well... who better to ask, then the Shadow Operatives themselves then?" Yu suggested. "We should plan something out, so we can meet with them all again, and maybe they can help us out."

This seemed like a good plan that they all agreed with so far, and was one they planned to tell Theodore and Elizabeth once they came back in time. This was definitely their next step they planned to do, as they felt they wanted to be able to defend themselves, in a world with someone like The Master now known about, just in case.

* * *

We switch scenes to Minato, reemerging in that flowery field, looking beat up. Everyone looked immensely concerned, as they noticed his bruises. Yukari immediately summoned her Persona and had it use a Diarahan on Minato, to fully restore his health and being. He was on the flower field ground, resting for a bit, as everyone waited for Minato to catch his breath, as he seemed more exhausted. Once he was feeling fully able, he told them all, of what happened to him, in his solo mission in the dream version, of his encounter with Sho and Adachi, and how he protected another dream version of Fuuka.

"You're always ready to be her prince Minato. Easily the best guy, a girl can go for," Yukari teased and praised, while Minato simply sighed and smiled from hearing that. "Fuuka is really blessed, to have met you in her life."

"Good job handling that fake Sho, buddy. That guy was pretty tough," Junpei stated. "If you were there, during that P-1 Climax incident, I bet you would have stopped the whole thing, before it got so crazy by the end of it,"

"Not to put a damper on our leader's success in that second door, but we still have one door to be concerned about," Mitsuru stated, as they all looked toward the last door. The door that still had a silver chain and lock, wrapped around it, with a red priestess mask on it. "While I'm glad our leader's solo mission is a success... we still have one last door to deal with,"

"It's not over till it's over. I'm hoping we get to all join in this time," Akihiko stated, as he always liked being active, and wanted to help save Fuuka as well. Minato feeling like he rested enough, slowly stood up, and walked over to the door. He took out his silver key, and unlocked the silver lock, that were on the door, and the chains and locked fell to the ground, and soon dissipated into nothing. Now the door was able to be opened, as nothing was binding it. Aigis carefully walked forward to the door and placed her hand out, to see if another barrier would form. Unfortunately she felt another glass like barrier, just like the one for the previous door.

"It seems we will be unable to assist, once more, as another invisible glass barrier is present," Aigis stated, as everyone repeated her actions. Sure enough, they all felt another invisible glass like barrier.

"Looks like you're going in solo again Minato," Shinjiro stated. "But seeing how you did alright, in the last door, I think you'll be fine in this one,"

"Good luck Minato-san. I know you can save Fuuka-san," Ken said with a smile, as Koromaru barked in agreement and encouragement. Minato smiled at his companions, as they smiled or smirked towards at him, with confidence. He then turned toward the last door, took a deep breath, and then sighed. It was time to enter. He slowly placed his hand, on the golden handle on the door, and slowly opened it. Darkness like shadows emerged once more, and soon he saw another very long pitch black hallway, with a white light at the end. He stared at it for a bit, before he slowly walked forward, and closed the door. Soon he was alone once more, as he was ready to venture into this new area within Fuuka's dreams, prepared for whatever was coming next. He soon reached a new area, that looked very, peculiar.

Minato found himself emerging in a forest of trees devoid of leaves and life. They were all just bare branches, as if the greenery was sucked out of them. As he looked around, it wasn't just the trees that looked dead. The ground was just grass, that was colored with a mix of brown, yellow, and gray and looked just as devoid of life in general. The night sky was... green. Just like the Dark Hour he was ever so familiar with, as he saw the full moon was in that familiar shade as well. The ocean was a disturbing mix of red, brown, and black water as he noted a lot of trash piled around. One sight however caught his attention the most, as this area seemed to be a warped polluted version of that flower field, he was in before with the others. A huge factory laid in the middle of the landmass, with smoke stacks pumping out smoke, and pipes connected to the oceans that seemed to pour out the trash he saw earlier.

"What... what is this place?" Minato asked himself quietly. Unlike the previous two areas, which were based off places that Fuuka herself had been in the real world for, this place seemed to be something original and not based from the real world. Nonetheless, it looked quite nightmarish, and he was pretty sure, that this was not something Fuuka would normally dream of. He decided it was time to look around, as he decided to head for the huge factory, as he was pretty sure, the answers he wanted, would be within there. He walked slowly as he noted his surroundings even more, and felt a bit on edge, as this place was pretty much the exact opposite of that peaceful calm area, he was in before. He soon found himself, nearby a door, that was by a huge metal gate. He wondered if it was locked or not, but decided to go for it anyway. To his surprise and luck, it opened without any issues. It was what he saw inside, that made him raise his eyebrows.

He saw what appeared to be many Shy Guys that wore dark teal robes, dark blue shoes, and that same accursed mask, that was marked on the door, he used to get here, as they walked around holding various tools. He saw what appeared to be five wooden airships, that had those Shy Guys on them. They looked towards him, but they didn't seem to mind his presence for some reason. Curiously, near the entrance where he was, he saw a circular device, one would stand on, that had a sign near it that said "Prototype Size Grower," with a switch nearby it, that could activate it. What caught Minato's attention the most, was what was at the other end of the very long factory. A huge black tarp was covering something very huge in the large warehouse like factory. Nearby that huge black tarp, was what appeared to be a blue tarp covering something nearby. Finally... he saw one person facing the the large covered object, with her back turned towards him. One that looked very familiar, yet something felt off to him, as he slowly walked towards her. When he eventually made it over there, that individual he saw finally turned around, with a dark grin.

"Well... I shouldn't be too surprised to see you here," Shadow Fuuka stated, as she was facing Minato. Minato noted the clothing she wore, and this version of her, being of her adult appearance. Most notably, was her yellow eyes. Minato had a very good feeling that this was... her shadow. From what he remembered from the incident involving the labyrinths, and the from the others in general, everyone had a Shadow self within them, that could awaken due to certain conditions. From what he heard from the others who knew more of the subject, for obvious reasons, the Investigation Team barring Yu, had to face their own Shadows before obtaining their Personas. The Shadows represented the part of one's selves, that a person would not try to show and hide instead. If provoked, they could become even more dangerous. "If it isn't my prince Minato. What brings you here?"

"I'm here... to make things right," Minato said carefully, as he felt uneasy in this current situation. Shadow Fuuka just chuckled in response.

"Is that so? Would you mind listening to a girl's plight? After all... I am Fuuka Yamagishi," Shadow Fuuka said, as she walked over to the object covered by the blue tarp. She removed it, and Minato was surprised by what he saw. He saw the Fuuka he knew, wearing some sort of Greek dress, as she laid in her cage, sleeping. Shadow Fuuka slammed her feet against the cage, and Fuuka awakened to the sound. She rubbed her eyes, as she wondered why her shadowy counterpart was awakening her. When her eyes were fully open, she saw that Minato was now here.

"**MINATO!?**" Fuuka exclaimed, as both lovers looked at each other, very concerned now. Shadow Fuuka merely laughed as they both turned to her, looking concerned.

"My fake counterpart... I think it's time he hears how the real Fuuka Yamagishi really feels." Shadow Fuuka said with a mixture of contempt and eagerness, which confused Minato, while Fuuka just felt more nervousness.

"How she really feels?" Minato asked, as Shadow Fuuka nodded with a dark grin once more, as she began to pace around the area, while Fuuka looked uneasy.

"Yes... for starters... do you know that I.. actually want you to stay in this competition?" Shadow Fuuka stated, while Minato looked confused, and Fuuka looked nervous. "Maybe I'm just trying to deny it... but deep down... I don't want to go back to our world and rather be with you forever! That's the truth!"

Fuuka looked extremely hurt, as she was unsure of what to say, and it didn't help that Minato was there. Shadow Fuuka was eagerly anticipating for Fuuka to talk back and deny such claims. She saw that Fuuka was still staying silent, but was now shaking a bit. Shadow Fuuka decided to continue talking, as she tried to rile her counterpart up.

"Besides wanting to be with you in this world... yes that does mean I want to be an Assist Trophy! To be in a world, where I can be happy and appreciated! Instead of a world where I was bullied... seen as weak and useless... and pushed around like some frail wallflower, waiting to be stepped on! That's the truth!" Shadow Fuuka ranted as Fuuka began to breathe heavily, as she felt more nervous, while Minato looked extremely concerned for her. "Isn't that right? I'm just trying to bring those facts out to everyone else!"

"No that's...-" Fuuka began to speak before she caught herself. She nearly slipped, as she wanted to deny such claims, especially with Minato there. Shadow Fuuka laughed, as she had one more thing she wanted to bring out into the open.

"Finally... I want to become someone who can stand up for herself! No more being the weak little navigator who hides behind everyone else! No more being the girl who can't fight! That's why I'm proud to be using this lovely huge machine, I had some inspiration to built, after seeing a certain someone's drawings of it, a while back!" Shadow Fuuka exclaimed, while Minato looked confused, while Fuuka held her head down. "Isn't that right? I want to fight! I want to become an Assist Trophy! I want to be with Minato forever! That is the truth!"

"That's... that's not-" but before Fuuka could finish speaking her words, as her eyes had tears leak out, and her body shook visibly, as Shadow Fuuka looked very eager to hear her finish what she was about to say, Minato raised his voice.

"**STOP!** Fuuka! Don't worry! Whatever it is... we'll sort it out later! Never worry about me ever judging you! You're the one my heart chose... I will never look down on you!" Minato shouted out. Fuuka stopped herself from talking, as she looked at Minato in awe, as her mouth formed a gentle small smile, while Shadow Fuuka had a scowl on her face.

"Guess I'll show off my mechanical creation after all. I was hoping to save it for later, but I guess I'll do it now. But before I do that... time I get my loyal Priestess Guys to give me a helping hand," and with that, Shadow Fuuka snapped her fingers. Minato heard a ton of footsteps approach him, and saw a ton of Priestess Guys now right behind him. Shadow Fuuka immediately pointed at Minato's Evoker, and before he could do anything, they jumped and dog piled him, before one of them managed to grab his Evoker, and ran towards Shadow Fuuka. The Priestess Guy that managed to grab Minato's Evoker quickly handed it to Shadow Fuuka, as she placed it into one of her pockets. She then pointed toward the very large black tarp that covered the very large object. The Priestess Guys all pulled it off, and then headed back to the five wooden airships. Minato raised his eyebrows at the sight he saw.

"That's... that Megahammer robot, Junior showed to us, a while back," Minato said out loud, as he saw the very large actual robot, that he saw in a sketched form from Bowser Jr.'s drawings before, during the Wuhu Island trip. It matched the designs of the sketches from Bowser Jr.'s drawings perfectly. It still had those mallet like hammer hands, it still had that large cannon hole in the front with the two glass spheres next to it, and it had that toothy lit grin, on it's robot face. The large robot was currently inactive, though Shadow Fuuka took out a remote. Minato also noted that a very long black ladder was nearby the robot, that would lead into the robot's head, which served as it's cockpit. The only real difference was that instead of having a green coloring for the parts of the robot that wasn't made of white metal, it had a black painted color instead.

"Time to activate Megahammer!" Shadow Fuuka exclaimed, as she pressed a button on the remote control she held. Soon the robots yellow eyes lit up, as it was now active. She then pressed another button on her remote control as the white armor, switched off to allow the glass dome to be exposed, where a control panel and a pilots seat could be seen. The glass dome then opened up, allowing someone to enter it. Shadow Fuuka began to climb the ladder while Minato realized, he was in a really tight spot, without his Evoker. Fuuka felt worried, as while Minato had faced some powerful foes in the past, this robot was a giant, while he was still pretty small.

"If only their was a way to even the odds!?" Fuuka exclaimed in panic, as she felt so concerned for him. She then noticed the prototype size grower device at the other end of the factory, nearby the entrance. She then blinked for a bit, before an idea came to her. "Minato! Head back to the prototype size grower device and use it!"

Minato heard Fuuka's words and nodded towards her, as he turned around and began to run towards the device. Shadow Fuuka was now nearly at the cockpit of the giant robot, as she still climbed the ladder. The Priestess Guys split themselves among five groups, as each were situated in each of the wooden airships, and they began to activate those vehicles. The roof of the warehouse factory began to open up, as the five wooden airships flew into the green Dark Hour sky. Minato began to pick up the pace, while Fuuka placed her hands together in a praying position, as she hoped the device would work on Minato. Shadow Fuuka was now in the cockpit of the giant robot, as she situated herself, as she sat on the chair that was behind the piloting controls of the giant robot. She then had the glass dome come back down, as well as the robot's white armor cover it's top.

"I am a shadow... the true self! It's time for me to show you, what I'm really capable of!" Shadow Fuuka proclaimed, as she used a microphone, on the control panel for everyone else to hear her from outside. She then noticed that Minato was standing on the prototype size grower, and slammed the controls nearby it, to activate it. "Heh. Things always get more interesting with you around,"

Minato soon found a blue light emerge from the device, as it covered him. He wondered if this was going to work, because this was his only chance to take down that giant robot. He soon found himself changing, as his whole body began to flash in a blue light, as he slowly but surely found himself growing bigger. Shadow Fuuka seeing, this began to use Megahammer's hammer hands, to begin to smash the factory around her. Minato ran towards the robot's direction as he planned to pick up Fuuka and her cage, and place the cage in his pocket, to keep her safe in this upcoming battle.

Soon the whole factory was destroyed and was a pile of rubble in the middle, of the huge polluted area. Shadow Fuuka piloting Megahammer was on the other side of the huge field, while Minato was on the other side, and drew his hammer weapon out, as he knew, fighting this robot, was going to require a really hard hitting weapon. Fuuka was now resting in her cage, in Minato's pants pocket. While this wasn't the way she saw herself being reunited with her prince, she was glad he was now better ready to handle her shadowy counterpart. She herself was knocked out, as the mental strain of what just happened, put her back to sleep.

_*** Size Up Your Enemy (Mario &amp; Luigi: Dream Team) ***_

"Let's not fight. I don't want to do this!" Minato pleaded, as while he knew that this was another part of her, it was still her in a way. Shadow Fuuka was acting too irrational and wild, as she ignored what he said, as she just taunted Minato in response.

"Are you scared Minato? Scared that I might actually be better then you!? Scared you're nothing without your Evoker!? Keep in mind, that size grower device was a prototype. The effects of you being a giant are temporary. Do you think you can beat me before then?" Shadow Fuuka taunted while Minato looked back at Megahammer frustrated. "Priestess Guys! Don't interfere unless I call for you! I'll beat some sense into you my love! It's time for my dream to come true! To finally earn the spotlight I deserve!"

The Priestess Guys hearing their leader's commands, piloted their wooden airships over the polluted ocean behind Megahammer, while the sky began to flash lightning, and the sound of thunder began to roar. Minato took a defensive stance as the giant robot boosted towards him, using it's jet engines at the bottom, ready to strike with it's right hammer like hand. Minato seeing this took out his own hammer, and carefully held it, as the giant robot approached him. As it was about to strike him, he carefully swung his hammer, to connect with Megahammer's right hammer hand, knocking the robot back a bit. Shadow Fuuka immediately piloted the robot back for another attack, but this time used Megahammer's left hammer hand to strike. Minato prepared himself carefully as he readied himself to strike the giant robot's other hammer hand. He was successful as he knocked the robot back once more. Shadow Fuuka however wasn't concerned at all, as she wore a cocky grin.

"Not bad. But how about this!?" Shadow Fuuka taunted as she activated controls on her control panel in front of her. The cannon like hole that was on Megahammer's chest, opened up, as two small cannons were now seen on it. It fired two Bullet Bills (two cartoon looking missile like objects with black eyes and white arms) straight at Minato. He held his hammer carefully, as the Bullet Bills approached him, and with a vertical hammer swing, destroyed the projectiles. Shadow Fuuka sent another two at him, hoping he miss. Minato however repeated the procedure as he destroyed two more Bullet Bills. "As expected of you. But I don't think you can destroy this without hurting yourself. Take this!"

Megahammer switched the two small cannons on it's chest, switched out for one large circular cannon. It then fired a Banzai Bill (a much bigger version of a Bullet Bill that had no white arms, and had a red shark like mouth, to go along with it's black eyes) as it launched fast towards him. Minato cringed, but immediately came up with an idea, he hoped would work. He held his hammer like a baseball bat, as he prepared for a horizontal swing. As the Banzai Bill approached him, he swing it horizontally, and with enough force, launched the projectile back at Megahammer. Shadow Fuuka had no time to react as the large projectile slammed into her giant robot, as it pushed her back, and broke the left glass sphere, on the robot's chest on the front, as some smoke poured out of the broken glass.

"Damage to engine one has occurred. Twenty five percent of power has been lost," said a electronic computer like voice, within the cockpit of the machine.

"**GAH!**" Shadow Fuuka grunted in annoyance and pain, as she gritted her teeth from what just happened. She then ordered the following, as she needed some time now to get Megahammer running accordingly. "Priestess Guys! Defend Megahammer while I reroute power to another engine!"

The Priestess Guys hearing their boss say this, piloted their five wooden airships in front of the large robot. They then began to move in a synchronized position, as they began to move in a circular motion. Minato was unsure of what they were doing it, but they were doing it for a reason. The airships then each fired a cannonball towards him. He immediately leaped into the air as they aimed low, and nearly hit him, as explosions went past below him. He scowled as those Shadows were now actually being a threat. The Priestess Guys continued their assault as they continued to shoot together, forcing Minato to dodge their assaults with more timed leaps. Megahammer was soon ready once more, as Shadow Fuuka ordered the Priestess Guys to stand down.

"That's enough! I'm going to be taking him down myself!" Shadow Fuuka proclaimed, as she was desperate to prove she was capable of being independent as well. "I noticed you were hopping like a bunny Minato... let's see if you can keep it up!"

Megahammer using it's right hammer hand, began to crackle with red electricity. It then slammed it's right hammer hand down, causing a red circular shock-wave to spread across the ground. Minato carefully leaped once more, as he avoided being shocked. Megahammer then began to repeatedly slam the ground, with both it's hammer hands charged with red electricity, as more shock-waves were created. Minato began to carefully time his leaps even more so, as he dodged the shock-waves but grew more exhausted while doing so. Once Shadow Fuuka started to see Minato begin to pant, she immediately dashed forward, with her right hammer, ready to strike him. Minato tried to raise his hammer, to defend himself, but his exhaustion had caused him to be too slow. Shadow Fuuka landed a hit, as he was slammed back on the ground, as his back crashed into many dead wooden trees, causing him to grimace in pain. Megahammer was now hovering very closely nearby him, as the giant robot was ready to strike him, while he was on the ground. Seeing that, Minato quickly used his hammer, to slam it into the other glass dome on Megahammer's chest, and caused it to become cracked, while also pushing the robot back. Minato quickly got up from the ground.

"That wasn't very nice! Eat this!" Shadow Fuuka angrily shouted, as she fired another Banzai Bill at Minato. Minato seeing this, prepared to hit it back at Megahammer once more, as he took a stance to hit it back. He swung his hammer horizontally and hit the projectile back. However Megahammer got it's right hammer arm out and slammed it back towards Minato. Minato seeing this, hit the Banzai Bill back, while Megahammer did the same. Minato was reminded of how he did something similar, against King Dedede with a Gordo, during his match with the penguin. As Megahammer hit it back towards him once more, Minato decided to slam the projectile back with his hammer with more force then before, causing the shark grinning projectile, to be sent faster back at Megahammer faster then before. Shadow Fuuka couldn't react in time once more, as another explosion occurred on the front of Megahammer, knocking the robot back, as well as breaking the other glass sphere on front, as black smoke now poured out from both.

"Damage to engine two has occurred. Fifty percent of power has been lost." said that same electronic computer like voice. Shadow Fuuka was about to slam her hands on the control panel in front of her, before she calmed down.

"Priestess Guys! Distract him once more!" Shadow Fuuka ordered, as the five wooden airships moved in front of Megahammer. This time they stayed in a vertical position as they aimed their cannons at Minato. Minato cringed in annoyance, as they all fired simultaneously. He found himself dodge rolling to the side, every time they fired at him, after every shot they reloaded. The sky seemed to crackle with lightning and flash with thunder more, as explosions were seen and heard, as the cannonballs missed their huge blue haired target. Eventually, Shadow Fuuka was ready once more, as she ordered them to stand down once more. "You think you're so tough!? I'll prove to you, that I can fight!"

"This isn't right! Let's not fight!" Minato yelled out, as he personally rather not be fighting Shadow Fuuka, as it was still her, in a sense. He never thought he be in this kind of situation, yet here he was. Shadow Fuuka however laughed at what she just heard, before she angrily replied with the following.

"This isn't right? What isn't right, is the way I'm useless! No one respects anyone who is useless!" Shadow Fuuka yelled in anger. Minato shook his head in disagreement, surprising her, from what she saw. "Why are you shaking your head!?"

"That's not true. You aren't useless. I know you better then anyone else, besides yourself! You're a valuable asset to everyone on our team and to the world!" Minato stated calmly. Shadow Fuuka however grunted in frustration as she refused to listen.

"No Minato! Shut up! Stop it!" Shadow Fuuka shouted with extreme emotion as she had Megahammer turn around. On Megahammer's back, Minato saw the last glass dome, though to the left and right of it, held three small cannons to each side. Shadow Fuuka had all six cannons on Megahammr's back, each fire a Bullet Bill simultaneously, as they homed in on Minato. Minato saw that dodging these projectiles was not likely, so he was prepared to swing at them, to knock them away. As all six Bullet Bills approached him, he readied himself in a stance, where he prepared to swing horizontally. When all six were close enough, he swung his hammer, and knocked them to the polluted sea to his left, where they exploded. Megahammer fired six more Bullet Bills from the cannons on the back, as Shadow Fuuka was desperate to land another hit. Minato readied himself once more, and managed to knock the Bullet Bills to the polluted sea to his right. Megahammer turned around, to face Minato.

"Time to slam down!" Shadow Fuuka yelled out. Megahammer's jet engine at the base of the large robot, roared with flames, as it launched and propelled the hovering robot into the air forward, as Megahammer was ready to slam both it's hammer hands onto Minato. Minato seeing this, quickly dodge rolled forward, as the giant robot, slammed it's mallets onto the ground, as it left an impression upon the polluted land. He quickly turned around, and slammed his own hammer onto the glass sphere on Megahammer's back, with a really strong swing, and managed to break it open, and black smoke began to rise out of it. Shadow Fuuka screamed in fury and panic from what just happened.

"Damage to engine three has occurred. Seventy five percent of power has been lost. Megahammer cannot be operational, unless power used for the armor on the cockpit, is rerouted to the rest of the machine," said that same electronic voice from before. Shadow Fuuka was practically at her boiling point, as her machine was so severely damaged by this point.

"Priestess Guys! Defend me once more!" Shadow Fuuka yelled out, as she really didn't want to remove the armor on Megahammer's head, that would expose the glass dome over her cockpit. The Priestess Guys got in front of Shadow Fuuka once more, and this time were lined up in a horizontal formation. Minato scowled, as he knew he had to take out those airships, as they kept getting in his way. Seeing their formation gave him an idea, that would easily take all of them out. The five airships fired their cannonball shots simultaneously, and Minato decided to swing his hammer in a horizontal motion. The five cannonballs exploded in front of him, and luckily didn't damage him, though he was hoping he smack the projectiles back into the airships. However he quickly came up with another idea, that may work instead. The airships fired at him again, and as he destroyed their shots once more, quickly made a run for it. He ran till, all five airships were right in front of him, all lined up straight in the air. He quickly took out his bow, and with a quick and precise shot, fired a large arrow (that was also giant sized with the rest of his being and weapons), and managed to skewer all five airships, while Shadow Fuuka could only grit her teeth in frustration. The five airships crashed into the ground, as they exploded, taking out all the Priestess Guy Shadows within them, while Minato backed up from Megahammer in the meantime.

"That's it! We're finishing this now!" Shadow Fuuka yelled out. She had the white metal armor covering Megahammer's head not covering the glass dome, where she could be seen sitting at the pilot's seat, with the control panel in front of her. The robot's yellow light eyes and big toothy grin was fully exposed, as Shadow Fuuka could be seen looking furious. She fired another Banzai Bill towards Minato, which prompted him to get ready to hit it back. Once he did so, Shadow Fuuka did something a bit differently. She had Megahammer's left hammer hand stretched out, as she was ready to hit it back, but this time, in a way where it would be launched differently. Megahammer slammed the Banzai Bill at a certain angle, causing it to be launched fast and in a forty five degree like angle. Minato had no time to react as the Banzai Bill crashed fast right in the ground in front of him, and exploded, charring him and knocking him back. His face contorted in pain, as he felt his body at an extreme heat, as he laid on the polluted ground. Shadow Fuuka seeing this, grinned viciously. Megahammer then went back a bit, as she was planning for one last attack.

"It's over!" Shadow Fuuka screamed out. The robot charged forward, with both it's hammers in the front, ready to slam into Minato. The blue haired Persona user, seeing this quickly got up, as he was about to be rammed into. With one high leap, he dodged the charge, as the robot missed him. He quickly turned around, and noticed that Megahammer was right nearby the edge of the polluted sea. He quickly used his hammer to poke and push the large robot into hovering above the sea. Megahammer turned around, and before Shadow Fuuka could do anything, Minato slammed his hammer vertically onto the glass dome, which caused it to crack, and to slam the robot downward a bit, where it's lower body was now in the sea. Minato then swung his hammer one more time and, broke open the glass dome, where Shadow Fuuka shrieked in anger and fear, as glass shards were now all around her. Her control panel began to short circuit, as Megahammer as a whole, began to start short circuiting.

"**NO! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING! NO NO NO NO NO!**" Shadow Fuuka screamed hysterically, as she began to shriek in anger and sadness. Megahammer began to explode violently, more and more, before a large explosion occurred, charring Shadow Fuuka and sending her flying back to the polluted land, as she crashed into the ground, with a thud. Minato just sighed as he slowly and carefully removed the cage holding the real Fuuka onto the ground gently. Soon he noticed his whole being was flashing with blue light, as he slowly and surely, returned to normal size.

"Time to get her out of that cage," Minato said quietly, as he used his hammer (that was also now back to normal size) to break open the lock. Soon he opened the cage and carefully went down to Fuuka, who was not awake. He carefully stroked her hair very gently, as he wanted to awake her. Soon Fuuka's eyes slowly opened up, as she saw Minato. He held her tightly and warmly, as he wanted to comfort her. She then finally stood up, and without a word, pointed towards her Shadow, who landed nearby. Minato nodded, as they both exited the cage, and slowly approached Shadow Fuuka. Shadow Fuuka was now silent as she looked at Fuuka with depressed eyes. Shadow Fuuka calmly placed Minato's Evoker on the ground in front of her, as she allowed Minato to pick it up, with no hostility at all. Fuuka slowly walked towards her, as her bare feet touched the bare dead ground. Silence filled the air, as the thunder and lightning in the sky stopped, as the Dark Hour like atmosphere was now calm. Fuuka then walked up to Shadow Fuuka, as they both stared eye to eye to each other. Without any words spoken, Fuuka hugged Shadow Fuuka, as silence filled the air, as Shadow Fuuka was surprised by this action.

"I'm sorry. You were hurting inside of me weren't you? I... I don't always have to hold these feelings in. I'm always helping the others... I shouldn't be afraid to ask for help. To let them know... how I really feel sometimes. To bottle up how we really feel... or I feel... that isn't right. At least not like this. You're right. A part of me wants to be with Minato forever and stay as an Assist Trophy. When I heard that offer from the chairmen... you must have reacted strongly. Coupled with being knocked out... I guess you wanted to really voice yourself, leading to this. Wherever we are. Because your... our desire to be with Minato is so strong. I think... I'm ready to tell Minato more about this in the future. Please... let's make things right. You're me... and I want you to be happy." Fuuka stated very quietly and gently.

Shadow Fuuka had a very small and gentle smile form on her face, as she slowly faded away, and reformed into Juno. Fuuka stared briefly at Juno, as her Persona faded away, and she had regained full control of herself, and had accepted her other side, after losing mental control after what happened in that office, a while back. Fuuka then collapsed into the ground, as this whole process left her exhausted. Minato ran up to her and gently carried her, as it seemed like it was finally over. A white door appeared nearby, one that he was ever so familiar with. He opened the door, and gently picked up Fuuka. No way he would leave her to rest, in this polluted area. He carried her, as he made his way through, and soon arrived back at the grassy field. Everyone else was surprised to see Fuuka being carried by Minato. They wanted to ask so many questions but he signaled for them to stay quiet, as he pointed out, that it looked like this version of her, could use more rest. He softly placed her, on the blue and teal flowery ground. They all then noted that the red stars and red moon, now turned blue, as if to signify everything was as it should be, for this dream world.

"I think we should all head back to the real world," Minato whispered very quietly, as they all agreed with their leader. They slowly made their way back, as they all stopped to see this dream version of Fuuka, sleeping very peacefully, which made them all smile. They soon left and found the dream portal they used to enter this world. They found themselves back in Fuuka's room, as they emerged from the dream portal. They all looked at Fuuka, and stared at her, wondering if she would be alright. Fuuka's eye's very slowly, but surely opened up, as the dream portal above her went away. Silence filled the room, as she slowly moved her eyes to see them all looking at her. She was so happy to see them all again, after time had passed. Minato in particular had a very gentle and happy smile, on his face, which made her heart feel so happy. Tears emerged from her eyes, while she was so happy to see them all. She then soon went back to sleep, as her head still ached, though her heart felt so glad after what happened. Later that night, after cleaning himself up, Minato now wearing his own blue pajamas decided to sleep with her on the same bed, as he held her in a warm gentle hold. In the morning, they would have a lot to discuss with the others, but for now... Minato wanted to sleep peacefully with Fuuka, happy to know she was better. It was probably the most peaceful night of sleep, the two had in a long time.

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**Well that's the end of Chapter 29. Notes as always.  
**

**1\. Size Up Your Enemy is the music that plays, during the giant boss battles in Mario &amp; Luigi: Dream Team, where Luigi will be transformed into a giant in his dream worlds, to fight five giant bosses in the game.**

**2\. The airships are based off a concept, used during the final giant boss in Dream Team, though modified. The arena that Minato fought Shadow Fuuka in, is kind of based off the 3rd giant boss's arena in terms of concept, though with wildly different terrain.**

**3\. The Investigation Team are able to summon their Personas in the Midnight Channel normally, or if they're allowed to do so, under some other influence. SEES use Evokers which allow them to summon theirs, in the real world.**

**4\. Megahammer is still the same giant robot, that is a mandatory boss fight in Super Mario Galaxy 2. It's attacks were based off that fight, though it was slightly modified in terms of this story, as well as having some new tricks/moves up it's sleeves, due to it's pilot. I mentioned it in Chapter 20 to help setup it's appearance in this chapter. Same for the airships which were mentioned in Chapter 23.  
**

**5\. A Shadow Self, is suppose to represent a person's repressed thoughts (though exaggerated in a way). When Fuuka had her breakdown in the chairmen's office, after seeing Minato get hurt from Brawler, she kind of lost control of herself and her Shadow Self kind of resulted in the process. This event for her, being more of a more internal mental struggle, as a different way to depict it, for facing one self (with some help from the others of course).  
**

**Well that's about it. If you have anything you wish to comment, point out, etc, don't be afraid to do so. Otherwise, I hope you all have been enjoying the story so far, and this newest chapter. Till next chapter.**


	30. How to Proceed?

**Chapter 30 is finally here! Sorry for the wait, as I've been extremely busy lately. Before moving on, I'm going to address the reviews from the previous chapter.**

**From the Guest that asked regarding Minato if he were in Ultimax or another Arena game, what would be his Ultimate Attack? Most likely something along the lines of the final attack you use on the final boss Persona 3 I can see happening. As for who's more powerful that's hard to say, as they've both done some powerful things to prove their worth. I guess I have to slightly give the edge to Minato, but I feel Yu had definitely done more (considering his status and more) so it's not so easy to judge.**

**From CgStryker, I understands as it's no issue for me, and I hope things are now better on your end. No big deal really. Take your time.**

**From Pingas Launcher, alright I'll say what my second favorite pairing for Minato is. Keep in mind I don't really dislike any pairing, as I think everyone is a good fit for Minato. I think Mitsuru is also a good fit for him as well. As for my favorite pairings for Yu, well I said in the note for Chapter 25, I said I wouldn't have divulge them at the current moment. I should have been more specific, saying I didn't feel so comfortable disclosing such information. If someone really wants to know my rankings with Yu, I recommend Private Messaging me about it, as it's something I rather not say for now in the open. I think Yu fits well in general with any of the P4 girls and I can see the appeal for each pairing.**

**Well that's about it. As usual, if you have anything to say, don't be afraid to do so, otherwise I hope you've been enjoying the story so far, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Enjoy.**

* * *

Yu and the rest of the Investigation Team were now speaking with Elizabeth and Theodore as they suggested the idea that Naoto came up with, as they finally came back that night. Elizabeth and Theodore reacted positively to the idea.

"I see. Emulating the method that my guests and his companions use to summon their Personas, might allow you to draw out your own Personas in this world," Elizabeth said.

"But where would all of you, manage to procure the devices needed for this method, in this world?" Theodore questioned, as while he was supportive of the plan, wanted to be reasonable and realistic about it as well.

"Well if Minato and his group have Evokers, I feel it's probably for the best, we first get into contact with them about it, and we'll proceed from there. We as the Investigation Team agreed that we'll go visit Smash Tower tomorrow and try to visit them," Yu explained, as the rest of the Investigation Team nodded in response.

"A reasonable suggestion. I wish you all the best of luck in your visit tomorrow," Elizabeth said. Yu and the others nodded to each other, with excitement, as they could all be potentially closer to getting their ability, to summon their Personas available. Hopefully there would be no issues when they visit Smash Tower tomorrow.

* * *

The next morning came as it was now September 25th, as both Minato and Fuuka were still sleeping peacefully in her bedroom. Light started to creep in, as her window, that had a beautiful sunny New York sky, began to sneak in. Minato soon felt the light upon his face, as he slowly awakened. He saw Fuuka next to him, breathing peacefully and slowly, as her eyes still laid shut. Minato had a smile on his face, as he was so happy to see her like this. A part of him didn't ever want this moment to ever go away, yet… he knew that the two of them had a lot to talk about. Between them, and potentially the others. He very gently, began to caress her hair, in an attempt to wake her up, along with gently whispering to her, to awaken. Fuuka's face had a gentle smile form, as her eyes slowly opened up. She smiled and immediately hugged Minato, who laughed gently in response. He could understand after what she just went through, she be a bit needy for him.

"Good morning Minato. It's… really good to see you like this," Fuuka said happily.

"Same. I'm really happy to see you finally back like this. We… have a lot to catch up on." Minato said quietly back. Fuuka slowly nodded. She knew that due to what had happened recently. Minato nodded in response, as they both slowly got off her bed, as he made his way back into his room to freshen up and change, but not before he gave Fuuka a gentle peck on her lips. They would both freshen up and get dressed, as they planned to speak about a lot of things that needed to be discussed. Before we move onto that, we're going to rewind to last night.

We see the office belonging to the chairmen, as the room was dark. The Master was having a video conference with the eight chairmen, as they listened intently as The Master informed all eight of them, of some rather interesting news. Outside the office, stood the three elite Mii Fighters, as Brawler, Sword-Fighter, and Gunner guarded the doors outside their office, as the chairmen requested not to be disturbed.

"I don't think anyone would dare disturb the eight chairmen, when they're talking to The Master anyway," Gunner whined, as while she didn't normally mind performing her duties, she had something planned for herself tonight, as she wanted to watch a new popular TV show, that showed off the exploits of humanoid squid like teenagers who played some very extreme and messy paintball like sports, with each other.

"It is what it is. We're loyal and all after all. Plus we get paid extremely well," Sword-Fighter said in response. Gunner just shrugged, while Brawler rolled his eyes. However soon entered a familiar face, the three Mii Fighters did not expect to see, as the three raised their eyebrows.

"Well if it isn't Pit. What brings you here?" Brawler asked, as he wasn't expecting to see the angel here. Pit wore a scowl on his face, as he was not his usual happy go lucky self. In fact he, looked furious.

"I request an audience with the eight chairmen. Now!" Pit yelled out. The three elite Mii Fighters were surprised to be hearing this, as they stared back surprised.

"No can do, angel boy. They're currently in a meeting with The Master. You're going to have to wait till, they're done," Gunner said. Pit however said nothing as he summoned his Palutena's Bow, and split it, into two blades, and took an offensive stance. The three Mii Fighters now looked serious, as they took a defensive position.

"What the heck? What's gotten into you? You're supposed to be the nice one!?" Sword-Fighter asked, as he held his sword, in a defensive position, as he didn't expect this kind of behavior from the angel. Pit just gritted his teeth in response, as he began to explain himself.

"Maybe you three should learn how to treat a nice girl better in the future!" Pit yelled out, as he was so close, to attacking them. The three realized that Pit, was referring to what happened in the chairmen's office, sometime back, as Brawler, glared back.

"We follow the orders we're given. Simple as that. You have a problem, you and me, can face off at Battlefield in the future if you want to vent," Brawler said, as he just taunted Pit to challenge him to a fight. Before Pit could do or say anything in response, the door leading to the chairmen's office opened, causing the three elite Mii Fighters to look behind them. The eight chairmen were all standing, slightly confused to see Pit was there, and the angel being angry no less.

"What are you doing here?" Crimson asked, as he had a confused expression upon his face.

"I'm here to speak to you eight about something." Pit shouted at them. The chairmen looked at each other, as they were surprised by the tone Pit just took with them, as had you seen their eyes, they looked annoyed.

"Very well Pit. We are reasonable individuals. Let's discuss what's on your mind," Azure suggested, as they decided to walk back into the conference room, where the lights was on, and the monitor they used to communicate with The Master was not present. Pit took a seat, with the eight chairmen, while the three elite Mii Fighters, closed the doors, as they stood guard outside. "What do you wish to discuss?"

"What I wish to discuss… is what you guys did to poor Fuuka! She could have died!" Pit yelled out furiously. "You guys are the reason she was in the hospital, earlier this month!"

"Tch. She's alive isn't she?" Jade said annoyed. Pit, gritted his teeth even more, from what he heard, as he couldn't believe the callous response, he just heard.

"What did you just say!?" Pit yelled in response.

"She's not dead. Are you stupid? We're not going to have someone killed in Smash Tower," Ash stated, with brazen confidence.

"That would be a PR disaster. Even if we could probably cover it up, we rather not deal with that kind of debacle, at all," Fuchsia stated, while Pit still did not look happy from the responses he heard.

"Ms. Yamagishi is fine. What happened to her was… controlled within reason," Golden stated, as he tried to calm the angel down, though Pit angrily retorted in response.

"Controlled within reason!? Sending her to the hospital was controlled!? Why did you guys even make that happen!?" Pit screamed in response.

"As your former recent archenemy Hades would say, before you defeated him… Pitty Pat, take a chill pill," Sky said with a yawn, as Pit grew restless.

"As for why she had her little… moment with Brawler… well sometimes things need to happen, to spice life up," Sunset, said in a playful manner. Pit was not satisfied with that answer as he slammed his hands on the table.

"You dent it, you're buying us a new table Pit. Don't interfere with our business," Crimson stated plainly.

"Just answer me that question! Why did you have that happen to her!?" Pit asked seriously.

"Why? Maybe you should ask Mr. Arisato about that," Crimson taunted with a smirk. Pit raised his eyebrows from what he just heard.

"What does Minato have to do with this?" Pit asked confused.

"What does Mr. Arisato have to do with this? Well… let's just say Mr. Arisato isn't fighting for what you think he's fighting for. What we did, was to give Mr. Arisato the right… enforcement, we felt was appropriate, for his situation," Crimson taunted. Pit's facial expression continued to grow even more confused from what he heard. "You may think he's fighting to become part of this competition but rather… well why don't you ask him yourself?"

"Excuse… me? Wait… what?" Pit said, as he was growing even more surprised by what he was hearing. The eight chairmen smirked towards Pit.

"Heh. Just ask Mr. Arisato yourself. Anyway… we have to leave, as we eight are about to call it a night. We also have some future big announcements we have to prepare to announce soon in the future. Announcements I think you'll be looking forward too. Remember… besides The Master, we're the ones also in charge of everything with this competition. You best be careful where you tread Pitty Pat. Knowing more than you can handle, can always backfire." Sunset taunted, as the eight chairmen left the room, and making sure Pit did not stay there, with having the three elite Mii Fighters, escorting him out. They all bid him a good night, while Pit stood in that hallway, thinking over what they said.

"Minato's… not fighting to be in this competition? What are they talking about? And… future big announcements?" Pit said to himself quietly. He then sighed quietly, as his body felt tension growing within himself, from the information he just heard. He slowly started to walk down the hallway and headed to the elevator, to head back to the floor that held his room. He was deep in thought all this time, at what they were talking about. He was still angry at the chairmen for what they ordered to happen to Fuuka. He hoped they would get their comeuppance at some point in the future, for what they still did. Such thoughts now mixed with what they told him about, as he wondered deeply what they meant, and what announcements they had for the future. He couldn't stop thinking about it, as he took a shower, switched to white pajamas, and went to bed that night, wondering on his mind, these thoughts that wouldn't go away.

* * *

We go back to see Fuuka and Minato in the conference room, as it was now the late morning and both were now dressed in their Gekkoukan High uniforms. They requested some alone time, as they told the others, they had some very important things they wished to discuss alone. They both sat next to each, other, remaining silent, as they were both unsure of how to start the topics they both had in mind. Finally after some time has passed, Minato sighed and decided to start off the discussion.

"Fuuka… I'm sure you're aware but… myself and the others… myself especially… we went into your dreams to help you," Minato said quietly, as Fuuka slowly nodded back. "Let's… start off discussing some stuff one by one. Like… you wanting to be an Assist Trophy,"

"I… you're right. I shouldn't be afraid to talk about stuff like that." Fuuka said, as Minato nodded to her, to reassure her, that it would be alright. "I guess a part of me… still really wants to be with you. I know we kind of discussed this a while back… before you took on your orders from The Master. I respect you and your decision Minato. I really do. It's just… I guess I can't handle the reality I live in sometimes,"

"Reality you live in? What do you mean?" Minato asked gently, as he felt very concerned, when he saw Fuuka look a bit down in the dumps, as she replied.

"The reality where… I do feel… useless sometimes. I detest violence but… a part of me really wants to contribute more by fighting, like the others. Everyone else in SEES can fight. Everyone in the Investigation Team can fight. Even their primary navigator. Me? I… I just support and sit on the sidelines for every battle. Don't get me wrong. I love our friends and love to support them. They're family to me, and I always want to help them as well," Fuuka responded in a quiet tone. "It's just… if I became an Assist Trophy… I can always be helping someone, whatever way I can. Whether it be healing someone or whatever else I can do. I love to help people. It makes me so happy to see someone else happy. To be able to always to do something like that… it's something that sounds very appealing."

"That's something I've always liked about you Fuuka. Your selflessness and desire to help others, to put them in a positive mood," Minato praised, as he tried to make her feel better. Fuuka gave a small smile in response. "But… I find you the way you are, perfectly fine. I don't want you fighting or getting into situations where you can be hurt. I know that's what your Shadow… what you want to an extent but… you're my princess. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you after what happened that day on graduation… that painful day,"

Fuuka was surprised he brought up that day, as she knew it was a very painful memory for the both of them. Silence filled the room once more, as they were unsure of what to say. Minato cringed as he regretted speaking of that day.

"Sorry. I shouldn't have brought that up," Minato said, while Fuuka turned to him and shook her head for a no, disagreeing with what she just heard, surprising him a bit.

"It's not your fault Minato. I'm just so… sensitive. But thank you. It's nice to discuss this out in the open. Growing up… it hurts to have people constantly bullying or looking down on you. I'm sorry I didn't discuss my thoughts and feelings like this more openly before. I was just trying to stay strong for you and everyone else, but at the same time… I've kind of grown too really like it here. To be with the others like Isabelle, Starfy, Kirby, Pit, Palutena, and everyone else for the most part." Fuuka replied, as Minato was unsure how to react from what he just heard. "And… I'm not going to lie… the biggest reason I want to be an Assist Trophy… is the potential opportunity to be with you… forever."

Minato sighed. He wasn't sure how to react to what he just heard once more. He had his reasons for not wanting to join this tournament, but at the same time… the fact he and Fuuka could spend the rest of their lives in this new world together was extremely appealing. Being able to spend time with the one he loved and cherished so much. His own mind began to consider the offer that he was tempted with on such a level. His thoughts were interrupted as Fuuka said something to gain his attention.

"But just because that's how I really feel… don't let me be the one to decide your fate Minato. You are your own person. As the one I will always love fully with my heart… I want you to do what's best for yourself. What I said before… was what I wanted to an extent. But in the end, it's ultimately up to you. If you decide you don't want to be a part of this competition, then don't. I've still grown to be a better person, ready and happy to always help her friends back in our world. Like I did for the fighting tournament incidents that happened in Inaba after you passed away," Fuuka said emotionally. "You're my prince Minato. I will always respect you. I'm not that much of a sensitive person… I hope. I'm glad to be with Yukari-san, Junpei-kun, Aigis-san, Ken-kun, Akihiko sempai, Mitsuru sempai, and Koro-chan. I'm glad to be a part of the Shadow Operatives and to help them out when I can. It's just… it's just… I don't know sometimes. I'm not entirely sure what I want sometimes even more. I'm really sorry,"

Minato pulled Fuuka into a hug, and gently whispered that it was going to be all right. Fuuka buried her head into his warm chest, as this comforting feeling was something she really wanted at the moment. After some time passed, she pulled away with a smile, and he responded in kind.

"It's going to be alright. We both have a lot on our minds we need to get cleared up. We still have a lot of time before I have my showdown with The Master, at the end of the year. I don't know what my decision is going to be yet but… one thing is for sure. We're going to spend a lot more time with each other, so we both have that at the very least. How about we sleep together every night from now on?" Minato said, as Fuuka nodded in response, and her eyes lit up upon hearing his suggestion to sleep on the same bed together from now on. "Since we slept in your room last night, tonight we can sleep together in my room tonight. Sound good?"

"Sounds good. Thank you Minato. We still have things to discuss though," Fuuka answered back. Minato nodded towards her with a smile, as he decided to bring up a happier topic.

"Alright… I saw your dream, regarding… the time we were in the Group Date Café labyrinth together." Minato said, as Fuuka looked embarrassed as her face blushed. Fuuka felt her face on fire, as she desperately thought of another topic to discuss, as she wanted to change the subject. Minato chuckled lightly at her reaction, as he smirked slightly. "Hey. It was a really happy memory aside from having to deal with that guardian of that labyrinth. I'm glad we finally remembered that adventure we had with the Investigation Team, as well as Ren and Zei,"

"Yes. I'm glad as well. We spent really good time with Rei and Zen, and the Investigation Team in general. I'm glad you and Shinjiro sempai did get to remember them. Since you two weren't around for the fighting tournament incidents in Inaba." Fuuka replied. "I also hope they're all safe since they're gone now,"

"Well The Master said they were no longer in Smashing Theater but… yeah. They're probably back in our world, frozen in time with everyone else now," Minato replied with a sigh. If only the two really knew, as we switch scenes.

* * *

We see the eight Investigation Team members, leaving a bus as they stood on the street, straight across from the huge tower, that belonged to Smash Corp. However unlike last time, they saw a sight that made them concerned. Near the glass door entrances, stood what appeared to be six female guards, all dressed in black suits, and black sunglasses. Two of the guards, wore brass knuckles, two had a sword in a sheath, carried on their back, and the last two wore an ammunitions backpack, and a gun arm on their right arms. They all wore a metal pin that said the word "Mii," on them, on their lapels.

"Umm...those guards weren't there, the other day, were they?" Yosuke said he looked at them nervously, from across the street.

"They'll hopefully let us in… right?" Chie added, also feeling a bit tense, seeing them. The Investigation Team members looked at each other, as they went into thought for a bit. Yukiko then realized something about those guards.

"I think those female guards are some of the Mii Fighter guards. Well the lower ranked ones from what me and Naoto researched," Yukiko recalled.

"It appears so. The three elite Mii Fighters wear more distinguishable clothing, while their subordinates wear more uniformed clothing." Naoto stated.

"Well lower ranked or not, those six female guards look like they mean business." Kanji stated, also feeling a bit nervous.

"Yeah. I don't think they'll let us in today," Rise said, worried. Teddie however felt brave as he walked across the street, with the rest of the Investigation Team, sighing in annoyance, as they thought this was going to end badly. As Teddie approached the doors, the six female guards spoke simultaneously, the following words.

"Halt. No visitors are permitted today. Sorry. Come back another day," the six female guards said. Teddie however waved his finger at them, causing Yosuke to put a hand on his face, as he felt Teddie was embarrassing them.

"But we have people we have to see! It won't take "beary," long… I think," Teddie said, as he tried to charm the female guards with his words, and as he flashed a pearly white smile at the guards. The faces on the female guards remained stoic, as they refused to budge. Chie grabbed Teddie by his ear, and pulled him back as he protested, while Yu decided to step to the front of their group and speak.

"Please ignore my friend's… behavior. We were wondering when Smash Tower would be available to visit, and why are no guests allowed inside today?" Yu asked.

"Unfortunately sir, we are not allowed to disclose why Smash Tower is unavailable for guests today, and when Smash Tower will be open to the public again. We apologize for the inconvenience," one of the six Mii Fighter guards responded. Yu nodded in response, as he decided to lead the rest of the Investigation Team away, back to the sidewalk of the streets.

"I guess we'll have to try again in the future," Chie said with a disappointed shrug and sigh.

"But I wonder why no guests are allowed today?" Yukiko asked, wondering why they had the Mii Fighter guards out like that, not letting anyone in.

"Indeed. I don't see a reason for them to do that, as far as we know," Naoto stated, as she began to ponder more on the situation.

"Who knows? Only someone like The Master or those he wants to know, would know." Rise said annoyed at the situation, as she really wanted to see the SEES members again.

"Well no point in complaining. I'm kind of hungry Yu sempai. Can we all go somewhere for breakfast?" Kanji suggested. Yu nodded, as they all began to walk away.

"Awww. I bet if I got to stick around longer, I would have swayed those guards to let us in," Teddie whined.

"The only thing you would have swayed, is them punching, stabbing, and shooting you out of the entrance to Smash Tower if you got on their bad side," Yosuke said. "We don't need you getting smashed out, when you're not even a fighter in their competition,"

"Well I bet I be popular with ladies in this world if I were a fighter… though I still don't have my bear uniform on me," Teddie complained. "We really need to find a shop for sewing with yarn and wool, so Kanji can knit me up a new suit,"

"What!? Do you know how long that take?" Kanji replied annoyed. "It's one thing to make a doll made of yarn or wool, but a full on suit?"

"Well… while Teddie can fight and function without his bear form, there might be times where he benefit from having it. It's not that bad an idea," Yu said. Kanji sighed, but reluctantly agreed, as it was another thing on the Investigation Team's to do list, mainly for him. The group continued on, as they went searching for a place to eat and eventually found a diner to go into, as they all took a look on the menus and ordered their own food as they sat at a booth. With the girls sitting on one side of the table, and the boys on the other. The diner had a huge HDTV on the wall, for visitors to watch, as the local news was playing, on the new channel it was currently on.

* * *

We go back to inside Smash Tower, as Minato and Fuuka spent time with the rest of SEES who were there. They were all ecstatic that Fuuka was back on her feet, and they spent time being really happy together, once more. Besides the SEES members, the fighters from the Smash Bros tournament who said they come, came by to visit. Ike, Marth, and Lucina were glad to see that Fuuka was better. Little Mac and his trainer Doc Louis came by, and they were so excited to see that Fuuka was better, besides bringing extra chocolate bars for all of SEES (and dog bones for Koromaru), Doc Louis kept true to his promise, as he told them, when he had the chance, he would get Granny Louis to make another one of her chocolate cakes, for them all, to celebrate her recovery. Mega Man and Rob were glad to see that Ms. Yamagishi was fully operational and functional again, as they came to wish her good will as well. The duo of Duck Hunt of Doggie and Ducky, barked and quaked happily, as Fuuka petted the two animals, with a lot of joy. Bowser Jr. came by and gave Fuuka a crayon drawing, that depicted a chibi version of her and Minato, with the chibi depiction of Minato giving Fuuka blue and teal flowers in a bouquet, which Fuuka appreciated very much. King Dedede came by to apologize for the way he acted the other day, and gave her a plush doll of a Waddle Dee, he bought from one of the merchandising stores in Smash Tower, which Fuuka also liked.

Kirby and Starfy came by and made sure to give Fuuka warm hugs, which she gladly returned. Isabelle was ridiculously happy, as she brought cute bunny shaped balloons, as the two new friends cached up. Ms. Fit came by, and was glad to see that Fuuka was in better health. Dillon came by with a bag of fruit candy, as his way of saying, he was glad to see she was better and she was receptive to that as well.

When Shulk came by, he was glad that her future was going to be alright. While Shulk was there visiting, Minato couldn't help but wonder… if Shulk could see his future with his Monado? It was something he was now curious about considering what he and Fuuka discussed earlier, as his and her future was now more uncertain, due to the confusion and topics they still needed to sort out more, for the future. As Shulk left, Minato couldn't help ponder these thoughts. It was something he would have to address with the Monado wielding fighter, at some point in the future, alone preferably. Soon came in Mario, who was wearing his doctor's uniform, and Fuuka was glad to shake hands with the one who helped cared for her, during her stay at Smash Tower's hospital. He also gave her a bottle of Megavitamins, for her to help keep her health up in general, which she appreciated. Soon came another new individual that Fuuka had yet to meet as well.

"Nice to finally meet you Fuuka. I'm Rosalina." Rosalina said with a gentle smile, as she shook hands with Fuuka.

"Thank you and Ms. Palutena so much for helping Minato and the others," Fuuka replied, as Rosalina smiled even more warmly in response.

"It's no problem. I also came by to wish your loved one, the best of luck with his venture into becoming an official member of this competition," Rosalina said. Minato couldn't help but look away as his face felt awkward at what he just heard, as he himself was still unsure of how to proceed from here, unbeknownst to Rosalina and the other fighters and inhabitants of Smash Tower. The other members of SEES looked at each uneasily, while Fuuka nodded towards Rosalina, even though she felt similarly with Minato. Soon Rosalina eventually left, and came in Dark Pit and Palutena who came to visit, but noticeably Pit was absent.

"Pit stain was busy with something. Don't know what though," Dark Pit said, feeling a little disappointed his more well-mannered counterpart, wasn't here.

"I'm sure Pit will visit you guys later. I'm sure he be delighted to see Fuuka in person, after hearing about her recovery, since Mario told us all," Palutena said. "I'm so happy to see you're feeling better. Really glad,"

"Thank you. It's really nice to see you and Dark Pit as well," Fuuka said, as Palutena gave her a warm hug that she returned, while Dark Pit smirked and shook with Fuuka's hands. "I understand. I'm sure Pit is just busy with something, and that's something that happens to everyone,"

"Did Rosie come by?" Palutena asked, as she referred to Rosalina with her friendly nickname for her fellow friend. The SEES members nodded in response as Palutena smiled. "That's good. I was actually talking with her last night in regards to something important. Minato… Fuuka… when you two are free whenever you're ready in the future, we would both like to speak to you both, regarding something. But that's whenever you two are free to do so. That's about it. I look forward to seeing you two in the future,"

With that Palutena and Dark Pit left the room, as the SEES members all looked at each other. Everyone just sighed, unsure of how to react. Suddenly the sounds of someone's stomach could be heard growling, as their attention shifted to one particular member, who sheepishly grinned.

"Who can go for some breakfast?" Junpei said with a big goofy grin.

"I could, but I just want to check the news before we all head off for our daily breakfast Iori," Mitsuru asked, as she made a habit of watching the news, when she could, to keep up to date, with what was going on in New York, just to stay updated, just in case. Akihiko took a TV remote that was on their conference table, and pressed the power button on the same HDTV they used to watch, Minato's battles from his orders. He flipped through TV channels till he found a news channel. However what was on the news proved surprising as breaking news, just occurred, they caught all their interest.

We now go back to the Investigation Team who were in a diner in Manhattan, as they were having breakfast together, at a booth. The girls were on sitting on one side of the table, with the boys at the other side. Chie had sunny side eggs and steak on her plate, Yukiko had oatmeal, Rise had waffles, and Naoto had pancakes. Yosuke had a fruit crepe, Kanji had sausages and scrambled eggs, Teddie had French toast and bacon, while Yu had a bowl of cereal. As they were eating, the TV which had the new channel playing, had that same breaking news report come on as well, as a female new anchor began to speak.

"Breaking news. The eight chairmen of Smash Corp have an announcement they wish to discuss, as we go live at Smash Corp's conference hall, where many of the press and media has been invited. We now go live to the scene that is about to unfold," the news anchor announced. This caught the attention of the Investigation Team as they all watched. They saw a man in a red suit, red sunglasses, red hair, and such standing at a podium that had a microphone on it, as well as a full water bottle also on it, in a large room, where many reporters and journalists could be seen seated, as they talked amongst each other as the room was full of noisy chatter, speculating for what was the purpose of this announcement. Behind the red wearing man, were seven similar looking individuals that were each adorned in their own colors, as opposed to wearing red.

"Those must be the chairmen. The men who are second in command to The Master," Naoto stated, as she remembered the Shadow Operatives discussing them, and from the research she and Yukiko did. Both SEES and the Investigation Team watched intently, as they saw Crimson at the podium that had a microphone, begin to clear his throat and signal for silence, from the media, as the room fell silent. The young adult then began to speak into the microphone at the podium.

"Good morning. We have invited the news and press for a very significant announcement, so let me first thank you all for taking the time to appear here on such short notice, and to all our viewers who are now watching," Crimson stated, as a lot of the press clapped in response from that remark. As soon as the claps died down, Crimson continued his speech. "As you are all aware, Smash Corp is currently hosting the fourth Super Smash Bros competition, that started last year during the Fall. As with every new tournament we have added many new additional components to it. Normally new additions are incorporated at the start of every tournament, and rarely are adjustments had during the course of the tournament, in terms of new components added, as I'm sure, most viewers are aware of,"

Crimson paused to take a breath, took a bit of water to drink from his water bottle, and slowly smirked. He then took out an envelope that had a red Smash Bros seal on it, causing some of the media to take pictures, as flashes of lights occurred, curious to see why he held such a thing out now.

"As you all know, what is generally considered the biggest components added to each new tournament, are the new fighters who have joined. In every tournament we have had newcomers join the ranks, of becoming an official fighter of Smash Corp for Super Smash Bros. Like I have stated before, such components are added in the beginning of each tournament. However… with our latest tournament, things will be working a bit differently, as we are now proud to announce a new program where an effort will be made to add additional components such as additional fighters, who will be joining the current tournament, while it's in progress, among other additional components as well that are also being added while the tournament is in progress," Crimson stated, as the media began to flash their cameras wildly at what they just heard. Minato hearing this couldn't help raise his eyebrows, as he knew they couldn't technically add him in yet, so it made him wonder, who they were adding.

"So you're saying additional fighters are joining the tournament as it's going on?" asked one journalist.

"Yes. Additional fighters, additional arenas, so on and so forth." Crimson responded to answer that question.

"Will we see any of these new fighters and new arenas today?" asked another journalist. The red chairman grinned wildly in response as he prepared an answer that surprised everyone viewing the event.

"Not today but very soon. In fact we plan to reveal multiple fighters who will be joining our tournament tomorrow night, as well as additional arenas, at a public venue we are prepared to disclose in this conference," Crimson said, as everyone watching were immensely surprised by what they just heard. The media and journalists went wild with questions while SEES and the Investigation Team had visibly shocked reactions on their faces, as they weren't sure how to take this new information, as they all took in what they just heard.

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

**So what did you guys think? Notes as always.  
**

**1\. So yes. Next chapter we will see the addition of the DLC fighters (as of July-August 2015 that are out and known about so far). Those characters being Mewtwo, Lucas, Roy, and Ryu. To be honest, next chapter is going to be more of a fan-service chapter. Though it won't purely be fan-service as I am planning a way to make it not fully focused on that. We'll see how it goes. **

**2\. Gunner talking about the TV show, involving humanoid squids and paintball sports, is referencing Splatoon. An extremely fun game that is just getting more and more awesome, they more they update it.**

**3\. I'm aware that due to my more busy schedule, updating the story in general will become more difficult. For those I always answer through reviews, if you ever have questions you don't want to wait on, till the next chapter to be answered, Private Messaging is an option I'm not against, if you have any questions in regards to this story or in general.**

**Otherwise that's about it. I still intend to complete this story, so don't worry about it not finishing (hopefully). I hope you all have been enjoying it so far. If you have any concerns, opinions, criticisms, etcs you wish to speak about, let me know. Otherwise I'll see you next chapter!**


	31. Announcements At Central Park

**Chapter 31 is finally here! Sorry for the wait, but my schedule as usual is taking my time. As usual, I'm going to address the reviews from the previous chapter.**

**From That Guy, don't worry. A certain Captain, is showing up... just read on in this chapter.**

**From Darius Flaman, keep in mind that Pit doesn't necessarily know what Minato's intention's for fighting is exactly yet. Though he is definitely curious now, as he knows that more is going on behind the scenes, then what he thought he knew.**

**From the Guest asking about a 3rd Arena game, and what I do with it. I would probably incorporate the Persona 5 characters (once that game is eventually out) and work the plot (if I had to make it canon) to incorporate the cast from Persona 3 and 4 as well. Have Persona 1 &amp; 2 characters as bonus characters for fun possibly. As for Fuuka... if I had to absolutely make her a fighter, I make her fight defensively, weapon would be something technology related, and maybe have her finisher be teleporting an enemy to a place filled with Shadows, or something along those lines.**

**From CgStryker, don't worry. I understand. As for your questions, Pikachu and Ness... well read on in this chapter. As for Rosalina reading her storybook to the others, that is something I'm considering. No guarantees though, as I'm deciding how to incorporate that, if I do.**

**As usual, if you have anything you want to say, state, criticize, etc, don't be afraid to do so. Otherwise I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

Everyone was now watching more intently as Crimson signaled to the rest of the room to quiet down as he was prepared to announce more details.

"The public venue where we plan to announce these new additions to our tournament will be Central Park. We will be allowing free admission for all guests and media who wish to attend. We already have workers already setting up the venue as of right now, and we will allow guests to enter at 6PM tomorrow. We will be giving away many free food, drinks, and merchandise offered for those attending. It'll be throughout the whole night and the announcements will come at 7PM. That is all for now as, we will now be taking any further questions," Crimson stated, as the media flashed cameras and further questions were asked.

The Investigation Team watching the news were now staring at each other. Needless to say, this was an announcement they weren't expecting.

"I wonder who the new fighters joining, are?" Yukiko said with a thinking pose.

"Doesn't matter. It's not like we know any of them, unless they came from our world." Yosuke answered. "Plus I doubt The Master is going to add anyone else from our world, if even, till he gets Minato in, and that isn't potentially happening till the end of the year,"

"This might be connected to why we weren't allowed at Smash Tower earlier." Naoto stated, as she wondered if this was connected to their lack of access to Smash Tower earlier.

"Still… this event. I wonder if we can use it to our advantage possibly." Yu pondered out loud, as they all turned to focus on their leader. "It's outside Smash Tower. The Shadow Operatives might check out that event as well, and we can meet up with them there,"

"That's a great idea sensei! Plus free food, drinks, and merchandise is always good!" Teddie praised as he had a big grin on his face.

"I'm hoping they have burgers, steaks, ribs and hot dogs as part of the free food!" as Chie tried to think of the thought, while Yosuke rolled his eyes from what he heard.

"So I guess we'll check out that event tomorrow at Central Park," Kanji said.

"I'm pretty excited. We get to hopefully meet the Shadow Operatives and hopefully it's going be a fun event in general!" Rise exclaimed.

"So it's decided. Tomorrow we'll check out Central Park for this event, and hopefully find the Shadow Operatives," Yu stated with confidence as the rest of the Investigation Team nodded in response, as they finished up their breakfast.

We now switch back to SEES, as they took in the news with more shocked reactions in comparisons. Everyone was left silent as the new eventually returned back to the scheduled broadcast, as Akihiko just shut the HDTV off. Everyone looked at each other, unsure of what to say, till Aigis decided to break the silence.

"That was an unexpected development. One that none of us foresaw coming," Aigis stated, as Koromaru barked as Aigis listened intently. "Yes. I am rather curious who these fighters will be as well,"

"Sounds awesome. We should all go totally check out that event tomorrow!" Junpei suggested.

"But are we even allowed to check it out? Will those chairmen jerks let us out of Smash Tower to go outside?" Yukari questioned, as she didn't have high hopes on this. Everyone went back to a thinking position.

"Well those chairmen did say we were allowed to know about, all the other fighters now," Akihiko said.

"Plus all those other stuff like the remaining arenas, items, and stuff," Shinjiro added.

"Yes. But we haven't really had the chance to go over any of the new information, due to more pressing matters currently such as Yamagishi's well being," Mitsuru stated, as she looked toward Fuuka, to show her, that was more important, as Fuuka nodded back in response.

"Nothing about going outside though. I think I'm going to have a word with those chairmen," Minato said. Everyone looked at their leader concerned. Especially Fuuka, as the vivid image of Minato getting punched really hard, occurred in that office from Brawler, she was just reminded of. Needless to say, she and everyone else in the room didn't want a repeat of that.

"Are you sure? Maybe we should all go with you?" Junpei said uneasily. Minato however shook his head to show that this was something he wanted to do alone. "You sure man?"

"I'm sure. I don't want any more trouble so… I rather you guys stay safe. I'll be fine. I'll be back here later," Minato said, as he began to walk away, before the rest of SEES could protest, and soon left their conference room. The rest of them looked at each other uneasily.

"On second thought. Let's order room service. I don't feel like eating at the cafeteria today," Junpei said, as he wanted to make sure, that he and the others were present, for when Minato came back. We switch scenes to the chairmen's office as we see the cyan wearing chairman, Sky sleeping on his chair. Minato found himself opening the doors into the office with no issues, as no one was present in the hallway that may have hindered him if he did. Seeing the sleeping chairmen, he did not hesitate to rudely awaken the chairman again, considering what happened in the past. Minato took out his Evoker and walked nearby the sleeping individual. He instantly pulled the trigger, waking up the chairman who panicked. The chairman placed a hand on his beating chest, as he looked both frightened and annoyed that this happened to him again.

"If you're trying to get on my bad side, and I mean my really bad side, considering I'm more laid back compared to most of my siblings, you're doing a good job at it," Sky whined, while Minato only glared back at him in response. "OK Mr. Arisato, I get it. You're not happy at me and my siblings. What do you want?"

"Myself and the other members of SEES, are we permitted to go outside Smash Tower now?" Minato asked harshly. Sky stared blankly at Minato for a bit, as he pondered if that was something he should allow them to do. After some short time passed, he shrugged his shoulders and decided to go with it.

"Yeah why not? It's not a big deal I guess. You teenagers better be responsible for yourselves though. Otherwise I guess I don't see an issue now with it," Sky answered, as Minato promptly walked away and exited the office, before Sky could say anything more to him. Minato did not want to deal with the chairman, any longer then needed.

* * *

It was now the next day as we see an evening sky. The Investigation Team had arrived at one of the entrances. As they entered, they saw that tons of people were inside already. A lot of people were wearing Smash branded clothing in some ways, like red Smash hoodies, and Smash branded T-shirts that differed depending on the gender of the person wearing it (males wore a Smash branded T-shirt that emphasized the Smash symbol, while females wore a Smash branded T-shirt that showcased red and blue flames). The evening sky was littered with stars, as a cool September breeze past by.

"So this is Central Park. This looks like a really fun place to partake in a lot of activities," Yukiko remarked as she looked around.

"While that sounds all fine and dandy Yukiko, we have to find out where they're holding their announcements in the park. Good thing we convinced Elizabeth and Theodore to stay in Langham Place. I think they stand out too much with their behavior and looks to be here," Yosuke said.

"I agree with Yosuke. Plus… I bet all the free food is in the area where all the announcements are held!" Chie exclaimed happily.

"If I only had my bear outfit, I sniff out where all the free food is." Teddie whined, as he looked toward Kanji, annoyed.

"Hey! We stopped by a store yesterday to buy yarn, wool, and all the knitting stuff I needed! It takes time to make stuff like that," Kanji whined back. Both blondes stared at each other annoyed, before Rise rolled her eyes.

"You two need to stop being such babies. We need to find where the announcements are being held at." Rise scolded as both looked embarrassed from what they just heard.

"Kujikawa-san is right. If the Shadow Operatives were to be somewhere in Central Park for this event, they'll most likely be at the announcement area. We should start searching for that part of Central Park," Naoto stated.

"Let's go team." Yu said enthusiastically, as they all nodded. Yu walked forward, with the rest of the Investigation Team following him, as they began their walk into Central Park. Along the way, they decided to ask people for information, with some people recognizing them, and begging for autographs. We now switch scenes to another entrance for Central Park, as the SEES members had arrived after taking a bus. Junpei was jumping up and down excitedly, as he was finally glad to be able to check out more of New York more. As soon as Yukari slapped Junpei in the face, to calm him down (while Junpei whined about it). Both Minato and Fuuka were in better higher spirits, compared to before, as their time last night sleeping in Minato's bed, wearing pajamas and warmly embracing each other, as they slept. They entered Central Park and noticed that tons of people were wearing Smash branded apparel.

"Central Park. Sprawls across at least 843 acres and was fully landscaped," Aigis stated, to give some factual information, on what was one of the United States biggest and most visited parks in the country.

"For a big park, it's getting filled with a lot of people, who are here already. Smash Bros matches must be super popular to watch," Ken said.

"Well if the Super Smash Bros competition, was a thing to watch in our world, it be super popular there too," Junpei stated.

"Yeah. The TV ratings for matches be off the charts in our world. It's probably off the charts here as well," Yukari stated. "Probably beat out the Featherman show I was working on, and that gets some of the best ratings in our country in general,"

"Shouldn't we start looking for where they're holding the announcement?" Shinjiro asked. "This park is pretty huge, all things considering."

"You're right Shinji. But… where do we start looking?" Akihiko questioned. "Central Park is pretty big all things considering."

"Hmmm… does anyone have any suggestions?" Mitsuru asked. Everyone went into a thinking position as they began to wonder. Suddenly Koromaru began to bark, catching their attention. Aigis listened to the dog and she nodded.

"Koromaru says he can smell a very faint, but somewhat sense of meat cooking. He thinks he can find where it is," Aigis stated.

"The area where they are cooking the food, might be where they're holding the announcement. I trust Koro-chan to lead us," Fuuka stated, as she and Minato kneeled down to pet Koromaru, who barked happily back from the affection they gave him.

"Lead on Koromaru," Minato said with a smile, as the dog walked forward, sniffed for a bit, and began walking. They followed after Koromaru as along the way, a fair amount of people were amazed to be seeing the SEES members live and in person, as they were stopped time to time.

* * *

We fast forward to it being almost 7PM at night. We switch settings as well, as we look at the outside of the Smashing Theater, as we focus on three individuals. Marth was in the front of a line, as he was looking at the food offered at a movie theater, as employees wearing uniforms you wear at a movie theater wearing a pin with the Smash symbol were working the area, as he was debating to get what kind of food or drink, to go with the announcements that he was about to watch.

Behind Marth we see a young boy wearing a blue and yellow striped shirt, a red baseball cap, blue jean shorts, white socks, and red shoes. He was also wore a yellowish brown backpack, on his back as well. He had black hair, and big black eyes. His name was Ness, and has been in every Super Smash Bros competition so far. He was a young boy, who had an adventure from the world he was from, that was very eccentric, bizarre, and memorable. Ness had psychic abilities and also fought with a yo-yo and a baseball bat.

Behind the young child, was another famous veteran fighter who has also been in all four Super Smash Bros competitions that have happened so far. Unlike Marth and Ness, this fighter was a lot less humanoid, and was rather more of a… rodent. A very cute one though. An electric mouse with yellow fur, black tipped ears, and two striped patches of brown fur on its back as well. It also had a lightning shaped like tail, with a bit of brown fur as well, among the yellow fur. It had black beady eyes, and red rosy cheeks. It was a Pikachu. One of many creatures known as Pokémon, and this one in particular was known for electric related attacks, which could be pretty devastating. The little mouse squeaked his name, in a way, to show that he didn't want to wait much longer. Ness in front sighed. Mostly everyone except Pit and a certain other fighter was already inside. Pit told everyone else, he had things on his mind he wanted to think about, and would not be the announcements live. While this certain other fighter was currently talking to some people about this announcement, and would be showing up soon to see it live.

"Hey Marth. I don't mind waiting, but would you mind picking a bit faster?" Ness asked. Marth turned around and bashfully smiled, as he apologized for taking so long, with Ness responding it was alright. Marth ended up picking cotton candy for the snack he wanted. He picked his order and began to walk away, as he headed to the Smashing Theater, to watch the planned announcement. The eight chairmen along with The Master, forbid any of the current fighters, to appear live at Central Park, as they wanted the public and media's attention to focus fully on the announcements they had planned. To make it up to the fighters who wished to attend the event live at Central Park, they had made arrangements for them to watch the announcements at the Smashing Theater. A majority of the fighters were already inside, as they were seated and most bought food or drinks, to watch the announcements with. Marth, along with Ness and Pikachu, and one other fighter, had a free for all match scheduled close to this announcements, which explained why they were still getting snacks for themselves. Speaking of that one other fighter…

"You're finally here Cap!" Ness proclaimed, as a famous racer and bounty hunter (in his free time) walked towards him and Pikachu. He wore a red racing helmet, with a golden falcon symbol on the front of it, which included a black visor that portrayed this fighter's eyes as white, as it his real eyes. He wore a yellow scarf, blue pants, blue armor, and a white piece of shoulder armor on his right shoulder. He also wore golden boot, yellow gloves, and a gun holster on his side that contained a sidearm he never used for his fights here. He was Captain Falcon. A famous fighter, who was a racer in his own time when not fighting in the Super Smash Bros competitions as he participated in racing competitions known as F-Zero, and did some bounty hunting for criminals on the side as well. He was a very fast fighter, as he is currently the 2nd fastest (as ever since the Brawl Tournament, a certain famous blue hedgehog who joined, was needless to say the fastest thing alive). His real name was Douglas Jay Falcon. Captain Falcon fought was a strong fighter who hit hard with his punches and kicks. Some of those attacks being pretty fire powered, if he choose to do so.

"Sorry. Had to use the restroom after that match, we all had. Marth's already inside?" Captain Falcon asked. Ness and Pikachu nodded. "I see. Alright. After we get our snacks, we'll head inside to watch the announce-"

"Out of my way chumps!" shouted a familiar voice that belonged to a certain Koopa King. Before Captain Falcon could turn around to say something, he got sent flying into the air comically, as Bowser grabbed him, and threw the racer behind himself, as Captain Falcon hit the theater carpet floor with a painful thud. Pikachu and Ness seeing this, immediately stepped to the side, to let the Koopa King pass, as he looked like he was in a bad mood. "Good to see you two chumps can listen! Unlike those stupid chairmen chumps wanting to add more punks to this competition. Those chairmen chumps not listening to me, really chafes my shell!"

Bowser ordered himself a large basket filled with fried spicy chicken, with a huge cup of soda with ice in it, as he made his way to the theater where the announcement was going to be made, while grumbling about this announcement being cruddy and lousy. Captain Falcon picked himself off the floor as he whined a bit in pain, before walking to Ness and Pikachu.

"What made him furious today? Can't he crack a smile when he's not being a jerk?" Captain Falcon whined, also feeling a bit in pain, from being thrown into the air, and landing on the floor hard. Pikachu simply sighed while Ness decided to explain from what he heard earlier that day, for why Bowser wasn't in a good mood.

"I was at the cafeteria this morning for breakfast when they made the announcement. Bowser wasn't happy about wanting more fighters and went off to confront the chairmen about it. I don't think they didn't listen to him, if his mood is anything to go by. He's been doing really well in this tournament, compared to the Melee and Brawl ones. I think maybe… he thinks the new fighters might cause him to lose more." Ness explained.

"Really? Is he that concerned about his win rate, of all things? That's why he's in a bad mood today? Ugh. Anyway, we should get our snacks and then head inside," Captain Falcon replied back. Ness and Pikachu nodded, as Ness went to go order, as he opted for a bag of peanuts. The electric mouse Pokémon choose to have cookies, while Captain Falcon opted for some potato chips, as they went into the theater to hear the announcement soon.

* * *

We switch scenes to an area in Central Park as it was almost 7PM, for the announcement to start. It was filled with Smash related concession stands, as many food (candy, snacks, etc), drinks, and merchandise were being given away for free, as a huge stage was setup nearby, that held a huge monitor, for the announcement to be made from. Many of Smash Corp's cameramen had setup cameras to focus on the stage, that would soon host the announcement. A lot of cafeteria tables were already setup outside, for people to eat, relax, and socialize. Many people, mostly consisting of teenagers, young adults, and children were all hanging around. Many fancy cooks were seen near grills, as they wore Smash branded cooking aprons, as the delectable scent of burgers, steaks, hot dogs, and other food were being cooked in general, being given out for free. We see both the Investigation Team and the members of SEES arriving at opposite entrances. SEES were still following Koromaru who was leading them to where the free food was being cooked, as the Shiba Inu barked happily. Chie seeing the cooked food, immediately pointed excited at the grills as she ran over to them, with the rest of the Investigation Team hurrying after her. Soon she found herself being amazed to see SEES, who were just as equally amazed to be seeing her.

"Chie-chan!? What are you doing here!?" Fuuka exclaimed confused, as all of SEES looked surprised, to be seeing the energetic tomboy at the moment. "We all thought you and the rest of the Investigation Team were sent back to our world!?"

Chie had a sheepish smile, on her face, while the rest of the Investigation Team caught up. Before anyone could say anything, music started blasting from the stage, where the announcement was going to be held, as everyone's attention was drawn to it. Both SEES and the Investigation Team simply nodded to each other, as they decided to focus on the announcement that was about to start, and discuss the topic later. Soon a familiar booming voice came live, as the stage had the stage lights open up, and smoke start to emerge.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boy and girls, of all ages! Tonight we are proud to be announcing additional new information for the current Super Smash Bros Tournament!" announced the announcer who could not be seen. The crowd went wild, as people cheered and clapped just from hearing that. As soon as the noise died down, the announcer continued. "Tonight we will be presenting new arenas as well. Let's start off with a classic!"

The monitor then flashed open, to show a live feed of an area that looked colorful and particular. It was a huge a platform in the sky that had a huge tree in the middle, that had oddly enough, a long thin pointy nose, two hollo black eyes and a hollow mouth. The upper branches were filled with green leaves and apples. The Persona users could only wonder, what the deal with this arena was, while back at Smash Tower, many of the veteran fighters, were familiar with this arena. Kirby began to coo in excitement, while King Dedede smirked, and a certain masked warrior known as Meta Knight who sat next to the two, looked pleased.

"Well what do you know? I wasn't there for the original tournament to fight, but maybe good old Whispy Woods may help me… maybe," King Dedede whispered to himself with a sneaky voice, which caused Meta Knight, to roll his eyes.

"First off is the good old Dream Land arena… well a slice of Dream Land! Those who watched the very first tournament may recognize this arena! Fighters, new and old, better watch out or Whispy Woods is going to blow them away!" the announcer announced. Everyone cheered while the Persona users, figured that Whispy Woods, was the name of that tree with the face on the arena. Soon the monitor changed, as a new location was shown. It appeared to be a large platform in the sky that was above a castle with a red roof, and had s stain glass window depicting a lady wearing a pink dress, blonde hair, and a golden crown. The platform was separated into three sections, as the most bottom section had a platform that moved left to right, and vice versa, and out of the platform in the middle. The top of that platform had a wooden bridge built on top that lead to nowhere, with a small red tower like structure in the middle, and the in the air above was a Bumper item, permanently hanging in the air. Both Mario and Luigi from their seats smiled, as it was an arena they were very familiar with from the first tournament. Peach recalled how she was saved from her own castle, from when Bowser used stolen Power Stars over it once, while Bowser rolled his eyes, as he didn't want to be reminded of that failure of a plan.

"Next up is another classic arena returning from the first tournament! Peach's Castle! Be careful fighters if you get tossed up! You may get bumped right out of that arena!" the announcer announced, as people laughed at the pun made. The crowd went wild once more, and to both SEES and the Investigation Team, they figured the stage was even weirder, despite the lack of a tree with a face on it. Soon the monitor switched to another image. It showed a live feed of another arena, this time, being on top of an actual castle. It had green roof tiles on the top, green towers, and the castle itself was made of gray bricks. It looked pretty normal till, a blue large tornado appeared, that moved across the roof A certain green tunic wearing hero named Link, smirked from the audience, while a similar looking, but more cartoony and smaller looking fellow named Toon Link, stared at it, with curiosity. Both SEES and the Investigation Team just sighed, and just accepted that hazard that was there, for whatever reason.

"Next is Hyrule Castle! Another classic arena we're glad to bring back! Our competitors, better hope, those tornados, don't spawn on them, unless they're ready to be sent sky high! Now we have one final arena to show off. Unlike the other three, this one is brand new!" the announcer announced. While the crowd were wild before, they grew even wilder, as the promise of a brand new arena was announced. Soon the monitor switched feeds once more, as it showed what appeared to be an old fashioned Japanese castle, with a wooden platform built on the top of it. On the opposite ends of the wooden platform appeared to be signposts depicting Japanese characters that said "As fast as the wind, as quiet as a forest, as daring as fire, and as immovable as a mountain," when translated. The crowd went quiet as speculation was quietly whispered, as no one seemed to recognize the arena, while both SEES and the Investigation Team were surprised to see a new arena, based off something from their country, as they read the signposts with no issues.

"What's the deal with the Japanese castle? Is Takamura being promoted from being an Assist Trophy or something?" questioned Captain Falcon, as the fighters in the Smashing Theater began to murmur with speculation as well.

"This stage is Suzaku Castle! A place where many fighters fought, and where many fights were once held in an international fighting tournament. This is the last of the new arenas for today! Where is it from, some of you might be thinking? You'll all see later. As of right now let's begin with introducing our fighters who will be joining this tournament!" the announcer stated. The crowd went from being quiet, to being filled with excitement once more. The monitor shut off, as the lights on the stage went off. Soon four circular colored spotlights appeared on stage, with those lights being red, blue, yellow, and green.

"First off is a fighter who is a psychic of a creature, you may all be familiar with! Give it up for the legend, Mewtwo!" the announcer announced as the crowd went wild from what they just heard. Soon a tall white creature with a long purple tail, purple eyes, appeared with its feline like features, despite its alien like appearance, as it teleported onto the stage under the red spotlight. The crowd cheered wildly while the Persona users can only stare and wonder in awe, at who or what Mewtwo was. Back in Smashing Theater, the Pokémon fighters cheered loudly, glad to see another one of them, was coming back. Pikachu and a certain balloon shaped Pokemon known as Jigglypuff, were glad to see another familiar face, with the rest of the fighters also clapping for the most part (Bowser just rolled his eyes at seeing Mewtwo coming back).

"Next is the boy from nowhere! Give it up for another psychic, as we introduce Lucas!" the announcer announced, as the crowd went wild once more. Suddenly a young boy riding on what appeared to be walking coffee table of all things arrived on stage, as he got off it, and stood under the blue circular spotlight. Lucas had blonde hair, circular black eyes, and somewhat pale skin. He wore a red and yellow striped shirt, blue shorts, white socks, and shoes that were red, with yellow colored toe caps, and yellow laces. The Persona users wondered what kind of psychic abilities he had, and what the deal with that moving table was. Ness was ecstatic as he cheered happily, glad to see one of his closest friends came back, as well as many of the fighters who joined during the Brawl Tournament.

"Next we have a fighter who's ready to heat things up, with his Binding Blade! Give it up for the young lion, Roy!" The announcer announced. The crowd cheered very loudly (especially many fan girls), as a young man red hair, and armor somewhat similar but different from Marth appeared, under the yellow spotlight, as a spell circle appeared underneath him, with him pulling his blade out from the ground. Roy had red hair, blue eyes, blue armor shoulder pads and knee pads, blue clothing, a blue bandanna around his neck, a blue cape that was red on the inside, white shoes, with a band on top, and was tattered at the bottom. He held a golden sword that had a red jewel, encrusted near the hilt, and it was known as the Sword of Seals as well, besides its Binding Blade title. SEES had a strong feeling, he was probably from the same universe where Ike, Marth, and Lucina resided from, while the Investigation Team noted that Roy looked like fit in with said fighters, from what they researched. Marth had a huge grin on his face, while Ike, Lucina, and a guy named Robin all smiled for the Hero King, as they knew he and Roy were good friends from the Melee Tournament, as many of the fighters clapped for Roy.

"Now for our final fighter who will now be joining our latest and current competition. He is also very special. Why is he very special? Well all I'll say is… here comes a new challenger!" The announcer announced. From behind the monitor on the stage, walked a human silhouette who could not be seen, till he entered the green circular spotlight, the crowd went immediately nuts, as they recognized him, and also where that new Japanese castle arena was now from.

"A participant of many famous fighting competitions from his own world, please give it up to the tireless wanderer, Ryu!" the announcer announced. A very built and somewhat muscular man in his thirties appeared, as he walked onto the stage, from behind the monitor. He wore a white karate gi that was a bit tattered, a red headband worn around his head, a black martial arts belt, and red fingerless fighter gloves. He had black hair, brown eyes, and didn't wear shoes as his feet were bare. The crowd kept cheering, as they realized, one of the famous participants from the Street Fighter Tournaments (from the world that Ryu was in) was now joining the competition. SEES stared blankly as they were curious what made Ryu stand out, and the same could be said for the Investigation Team, as they had a similar reaction (though Chie was really excited to see a fighter who was into martial arts, as she was into kung-fu). The fighters watching the event back in Smash Tower had no clue who he is, though Mega Man had a vague feeling he recalled such an individual in the past.

"For all our fans, you will be seeing all these arenas to be fought in, and these additional fighters joining our current roster. Also stay tuned as we may have additional new components to add to our current competition. For now our fighters on stage must leave to join our fighters in Smash Tower! We hope you all enjoyed the presentation and enjoy the rest of the event, which shall last till 10PM!" the announcer announced. A very loud sound that sounded like fingers snapping occurred. The four fighters on stage, disappeared as they teleported away. The crowd began to disperse as people began to converse with each other, eat, go for free merchandise, and such.

We go back to Smash Tower as we see the four fighters, that were just at Central Park, reappear in the theater room, surprising many of the fighters. Everyone went up to the four, glad to see them again or meet for the first time (which was for Ryu's case, everyone). Everyone except Bowser, who rolled his eyes, as he walked away and left the room, grumbling about how he didn't need more chumps to deal with, in this competition, as he wanted to keep his win record up.

"I guess those new arenas were alright announcements… but those fighters… great. Psychic freaky cat is back, the ESP crybaby is back, red hair pretty boy with a fiery sword is back, and… some new guy who does karate of all things. Big deal!" Bowser whined, as he walked away, heading to the elevator to get his mind off the announcements. "Hmmm… maybe I'll check out Central Park right now. I don't care about what those dopey chairmen said. The chump fighters now joining, are in Smash Tower, I'm not going to take any attention away from them. I could go for some free food and eat outside tonight,"

We go back to Central Park, as we see SEES and the Investigation Team, sitting across from each other, at a cafeteria table outside, with all of them having plates filled with food (Koromaru they got a Smash branded dog bowl which they filled with food), as the two teams, planned to have dinner together and discuss some important new things tonight.

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**What did you think? As usual, notes as always.**

**1\. So I debated having the Miiverse stage added, but I figured that be kind of awkward to incorporate considering I already gave Mii an actual meaning, in the context of this story, that wouldn't make sense.**

**2\. Realistically, only certain characters will play a big role, despite other characters being mentioned or featured. As the saying goes, too many cooks spoil the broth. So as of the cast, mainly SEES, the Investigation Team (along with Elizabeth and Theodore of course), and certain Smash Bros characters will be the main focus, as I feel I wouldn't do justice if I spread too much of the attention between them all and other characters. Smash especially, considering the huge cast the series now has, as of the latest game (and especially with additional fighters coming in the future, due to the Smash Ballot which has not concluded as of this writing and time).**

**3\. One thing I want to point out. I made sure to write the way they announced, the returning characters (Mewtwo, Lucas, and Roy), in a way where they weren't referred to as returning veterans for certain reasons, depending on how I decide to proceed in the story, as a fail safe, just in case. **

**4\. The Investigation Team will get their own focus, as I still do have roles for them (mainly comical) for the most part, to reiterate. I know much hasn't happened yet.**

**So that's it as of right now. As usual if you have anything to say, go for it. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and the story so far. Till next chapter!**


	32. Evokers & The Jerk Koopa King

**Chapter 32 has arrived! Thanks for your patience guys. I really appreciate it, due to my busy schedule as usual. Time to answer some questions from the review from the previous chapters.**

**From CgStryker, I'll start with your questions, one at a time. Will Ness and Pikachu have more prominent roles? As of right now, no, as their appearance last chapter was more of a cameo, though like anything, I can always change my mind, if I decide to do so. **

**Second question from you was regarding how I know so much of this information? I own many games from these series and love many of the game series present in Smash (and outside of Smash as I'm into many series, from many different companies). For anything I don't know, I do perform research so I can be as accurate and true to the source material (for the most part as sometimes I do take some liberties) as I can. **

**As for your last question... Subspace Emissary did not occur in the canon of this story, and will be something that will not currently be used in any way for the plot, as of right now. Since Subspace Emissary didn't occur within the canon (the Brawl Tournament happened just normally) Rob was never the Ancient Minister in this case. However like anything, perhaps I can find a way to sneak in some references, despite it never happening. We'll see. **

**Otherwise, that's about it. Some music in this chapter I recommend if you wish to listen, to fit the scene if you want. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and like always, if you have anything you want to say, go for it. Enjoy the chapter!**

The aura in Central Park was still one of festivity, as many people were still enjoying the event, after the announcements, regarding the stages and fighters now being over. We now see the Investigation Team and SEES sitting at one of many cafeteria plates set up outside. They all had plates filled with foods (Chie's in particular was pretty packed with various cooked protein), as well as drinks being sold nearby (soda, juice, shakes, water, etc) that each person has on them as well. As they ate, they began to discuss the situation.

"So let's begin with this topic. Where did you all disappear to while in the Smashing Theater?" Mitsuru questioned, as she was curious to learn where the Investigation Team was off to.

"Well we all thought that The Master would take us back to our world, but… we were all teleported out of that movie theater by two other individuals," Yosuke answered. SEES all had a curious expression upon this, as they were curious who these individuals were, and why they teleported the Investigation Team out of the Smashing Theater.

"Who are they?" Akihiko questioned. "The ones who teleported you all out of the movie theater in Smash Tower?"

"Two individuals I'm pretty sure you're all familiar with. Elizabeth and Theodore," Yu stated calmly. The SEES members were all surprised by what they just heard. They were all aware of the two Velvet Room attendants, especially since they all recalled the P-1 Climax and labyrinth incidents (in Minato and Shinjiro's case, just the labyrinth incidents). Minato especially was surprised, as he didn't expect them to be in this world as well.

"Elizabeth and Theodore?" Aigis said with both curiosity and surprise. "I am surprised to hear they are present in this world. What are they doing here?"

"That's probably something you guys should ask them yourselves about. They can probably do a better job explaining it, then us," Kanji answered. SEES all nodded, as this was something they have to put on their own to do list, besides finding out more about everything they were now allowed to know about.

"Actually can we ask you guys for a favor?" Chie said which prompted curious looks from the SEES members.

"A favor from us?" Ken replied.

"Well currently none of us, can summon our own Personas in this world," Yukiko stated. SEES could see where this as going as Rise decided to continue where Yukiko left off.

"We usually summon our Personas in the Midnight Channel where we can, besides that whole incident involving the P-1 Climax. But in the real world, we can't, unlike you guys," Rise continued to explain.

"We would be beary appreciative of you guys helping us out with that!" Teddie exclaimed with a big grin. Some of the Investigation Team rolled their eyes, while some of SEES just sighed in response.

"But we rely on our Evokers to summon our Personas in the real world, if we need too," Yukari responded, unsure if they could really help them.

"Exactly. What we're asking, is if your group can somehow manage to obtain eight Evokers for us all," Naoto asked. All the SEES members looked very surprised by what they just heard, as Junpei who was drinking a soda at the moment, spat from his mouth, as he coughed a bit from what he just heard.

"You want us to do what!?" Junpei exclaimed.

"But the Kirijo Group doesn't even exist in this world, as far as we know." Shinjiro stated. Mitsuru nodded, as she was very sure, her families company did not exist in this world.

"That does remind me of something actually," Mitsuru added. "When we were taken to this world at the beginning of the year, the chairmen gave everyone but Aigis new Evokers."

"That is correct. Since my Evoker is built within me. However the rest of you, received new ones from the chairmen," Aigis stated.

"But when we were taken… we didn't have our original Evokers on us, during the New Years party," Fuuka said in realization.

"So in short, the only reason we SEES members have our current Evokers, is because the chairmen who run Smash Corp, gave them to us, whether it be due to them or The Master," Minato stated.

"Are the chairmen who run Smash Corp… reasonable?" Kanji asked. Most of SEES cringed, as they weren't entirely sure how to respond to that, while Minato went into a contemplative thought. He then decided to be frank with the Investigation Team.

"Depending on who you talk to, depending on their mood, and depending on who they're dealing with," Minato stated bluntly. The Investigation Team sighed collectively, as they weren't sure how to approach that. Koromaru then began to bark, while Aigis listened. She then translated for the Shiba Inu.

"Why do you guys want to summon your own Personas anyway, in this world? That is what Koromaru asked," Aigis stated.

"Well in case we need to defend ourselves, for whatever reason. Especially in a world with someone like The Master around," Yosuke explained. The SEES members had to admit, that was a good reason. Though it begged the question of another.

"But don't you guys fight with your own weapons as well?" Junpei asked.

"When we were transported to this world, we didn't have our weapons on us," Yukiko explained.

"Plus, some of us fight with stuff that you can't easily procure or have without issues. Especially considering our ages," Naoto explained.

"Yeah. Yukiko for example is good with fighting with fans. I fight with kicking primarily, so all I need are a really good pair of sneakers, and I'm good to go," Chie said.

"I just need something to grab and slam like a metal folding chair. So I'm also good to go." Kanji said.

"But who's going to sell me stuff like kunai? Or where is Teddie going to get metal claws or get it even sold to him as well?" Yosuke added.

"Well if I were to fight, I guess getting a mic stand shouldn't be an issue," Rise stated, as she was still new to it, after the P-1 Climax incident. "But Yu sempai and Naoto would also have trouble as well. I don't think anyone would sell a sword to him. Naoto especially would have issues getting handguns for herself."

"Being able to summon a Persona, is a bigger priority, compared to some of us without being able to fight with our weapons. But that is a good point. That's another thing we all need to figure out for ourselves," Yu stated. Everyone was eating and listening, as they began to think over what was just said. However the thinking was short lived, as many people began to shout in excitement, from seeing a familiar fighter from the Smash Bros competitions.

_*** Have a Nice Talk - (Mario &amp; Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story) ***_

"Hey it's Bowser! Awesome!" shouted a very excited fan of the Koopa King. Both the SEES and Investigation Team members, turned to face the direction of that voice, as they all finally saw the Koopa King in person.

Bowser smirked as he saw many of his fans come near him to ask for an autograph. He even saw some that wore a black shirt, with his infamous insignia on them, or a black hat, that bore the same symbol. He smirked as he gladly took pens and pencils and signed various stuff. He walked over to the chefs cooking the food as he got himself a plate, and got himself a ton of food to devour, and sat at a table by himself. The SEES and Investigation Team members sitting a couple of tables away from the Koopa King, were unsure if any of them should approach the big brute.

"That's that Bowser guy, isn't it?" Kanji said nervously. "Looks like he can easily thrash someone if he wanted too,"

"Bowser the Koopa King. A fighter who joined in the second Smash Bros competition known as the Melee Tournament. Powerful, imposing, and heavy. Though not as mobile compared to some of the other fighters in this competition," Naoto stated, from the research she did.

"Minato already beat his son up, from one of his orders he already had," Junpei said quietly, just in case, Bowser had really good hearing, as the Koopa King was munching away on his food.

"Bowser Jr. right? He fights with a vehicle doesn't he?" Yukiko asked, from what she also researched.

"Yep, that's true. I helped Minato out in that order, against Bowser Jr. and another fighter named Palutena," Ken replied.

"But this would be a good chance to interact with someone new right?" Teddie asked. "He doesn't seem that bad of a guy,"

"Oh I'm sure he has his moments when he's nice… when he's not trying to be an evil villain Teddie!" Yosuke remarked sarcastically. "Seriously, he maybe a fighter for that Smash Corp group, and behaves better when here in this world, but I bet he wouldn't hesitate to clock someone's lights out, or turn us all into fried toast, if they got on his bad side,"

"I wonder what made him come down here to Central Park? Just to get some free food? I figure he want to meet the fighters now joining the competition in that Smash Tower, from the announcements earlier," Rise questioned with curiosity.

"But I don't think any of us should approach the guy. Like Yosuke said, he probably wouldn't hesitate to punch us or turn us all into BBQ," Chie said with a sigh.

"Hey… isn't that Pit?" Yukari stated, as they all turned to see the angel, they were either personally familiar with or unfamiliar with. He was walking with his head down, as his hands were in his shorts pockets. He would greet and sign anything that any of his fans wanted when they approached him, but he seemed to be in a down mood. Bowser noticing the angel called out to him.

"Hey Chicken Wings! What's the matter with you?" Bowser yelled out, as he liked to refer to Pit as Chicken Wings (as opposed to King Dedede who used the term Chicken Pit). Pit was surprised to hear the Koopa King was calling out to him (and was even here to begin with), as the angel looked toward Bowser's direction. "What the heck are you doing over here?"

"I can say the same for you. What are you doing here?" Pit tried to reply, sounding tough, but it just came off as corny and weak sounding. Bowser rolled his eyes in response, and motioned for the angel to sit across from him.

"Well after the announcements, about those chumps now joining the current competition, I bolted because I didn't feel like talking to any of them. I don't need more chumps to deal with, for me to stomp on in this tournament," Bowser explained for himself.

"Right. For you to stomp on," Pit said mockingly with a smug smile, as he could tell Bowser was trying to make himself look better, while the Koopa King just folded his arms from hearing that. "Who were the fighters joining anyway?" Pit asked. Bowser rolled his eyes once more, but then remembered that Pit wasn't at the Smashing Theater, where all the fighters watching the announcements occurred.

"Man do I have to explain everything Chicken Wings? Whatever. Two of the fighters who got announced were Mewtwo and Roy. You don't know them aside from what some of the others, said about them," Bowser explained as Pit nodded, as he never met them but heard about them, from some of the others, as Pit didn't join till the Brawl Tournament, where the two returning fighters were not present for. "Another returning fighter was Lucas. You should be familiar with the wuss,"

"Hey! Lucas is not a wuss! He's just shy! Doesn't help when jerks like you, bully him whenever you feel like it, back when he was with us, during the Brawl Tournament!" Pit retorted annoyed, while Bowser just smirked in response, as he considered being called a bully, a compliment. "But I'm happy to hear he's back. Anyone else come back?"

"No. We got one more fighter. New guy as well. Some martial arts looking dude called Ryu. Doesn't look that crazy all things considering," Bowser answered.

"Ryu huh? Well I'll meet him when I meet him. Thanks for the info Bowser," Pit answered with a smile. Bowser however looked annoyed.

"Hey! You need to hold up the end of your bargain! Tell me what you're doing here Chicken Wings! I noticed you weren't with your green haired boss and evil twin, back at Smash Tower, for the announcements earlier this night. What's all that about?" Bowser replied. Pit cringed, as he wasn't sure talking to Bowser about his thoughts lately, considering the kind of individual Bowser could be. "Hey! You don't tell me what you're doing here, I'll send you back to your Sky World early with my fists!"

"OK. Just calm down Bowser," Pit replied annoyed. "I just… needed some alone time lately. Just been having some really personal thoughts on my mind about something. That's all. I figure I just chill at the other parts of Central Park. I only came here after the announcements was over, just to say hi to any fans around here, to make them happy. Otherwise I still needed some alone time to think,"

"Mind spilling? I'm bored and need some entertainment in my life at the moment," Bowser remarked. Pit glared at the Koopa King who was oblivious to the glare he was receiving, as Bowser kept stuffing his mouth with deliciously cooked food. Pit then looked around as he tried to change the subject. His eyes widened as he saw a familiar individual, sitting with people he knew and didn't know, that made him feel both happy and sad, considering who it was. Someone he would need to talk to in the future eventually alone, regarding his current thoughts.

"Hey Minato!" Pit yelled out, as he smiled and waved his hands frantically happily. The SEES and the Investigation Team who were trying to listen in on the conversation between the angel and the Koopa King, and didn't manage to hear anything, were surprised to see the angel directly calling out for SEES's leader. Minato sighed, as while he didn't normally mind seeing and talking with Pit, the fact a certain spiky shell wearing fighter was also present, made him wonder if this was going to be alright. Bowser blinked at Pit, who was acting like his happy go lucky spastic self at the moment.

"Hey Chicken Wings. Who the heck is Minato?" Bowser asked confused. Pit began to do a pointing gesture towards behind Bowser, while some of SEES and some of the Investigation Team, gulped in fear. Bowser turned around and saw both groups of teenagers sitting together. "Some friend of yours from them punks?"

"Hey Minato! Sit on our table! Or better yet, why don't we come to you guys!" Pit excitedly stated. Before Bowser could say anything in response to that, the angel grabbed the Koopa King, and ran towards both groups, with surprising strength, as the angel's enthusiasm somehow enabled this, while Bowser's eyes just looked surprised, that Pit managed to do that, and annoyed as well. Soon both were standing nearby the table that SEES and the Investigation Team were having their dinner at.

"Hey guys! This is Bow-" but before Pit could finish his sentence, Bowser slammed a hard punch into Pit with his right fist, comically sending the angel flying into the air, as the angel then fell into a nearby fountain, crashing into the water with a loud crash and loud splash, as Pit was now seeing stars for a bit. Both SEES and the Investigation Team felt awkward at what just happened.

"That's for dragging me here without telling me and for not letting me finish my meal, Chicken Wings!" Bowser shouted out, with a mix of annoyance and smugness (from landing that punch), as Minato could just sigh at what he just heard. He then turned his attention towards SEES and the Investigation Team. He raised his eyebrows, considering some of them had hair colors that were not exactly normal for most teens to have, along with seeing what appeared to be a humanoid robot, and a dog with some attire that included angel wings. "The name's Bowser. You all look like an interesting bunch. Which one of you is Minato, which Chicken Wings mentioned?"

"I am. I'm Minato," Minato said. Bowser turned to focus on the blue haired teenager and… for some reason, he felt like he heard about the teen vaguely, somewhere in the past. He then realized something, from something he heard from Dedede a while ago. He looked like a blue haired pretty boy… that was supposed to be one of the rumored newcomers. Bowser blinked for a few moments. The only thing that didn't confirm this fully, was that he currently didn't see anything that resembled a handgun on him that would allow him to supposedly summon something.

"I see… Blue Mint," Bowser remarked. Everyone stared blankly at Bowser, using that nickname for Minato. "What? He's got blue hair, take the min out of his name and add a letter to it, and voila. Blue Mint. Anyway… I hear you summon stuff by pretending to be suicidal. Mind showing that off?"

Minato shrugged seeing no reason to decline, and everyone else thought it was probably a good idea, to not get on the Koopa King's bad side. He then took out his Evoker, which caused Bowser to confirm his suspicions. He placed and pointed his Evoker at his head, and decided to summon a weak Persona to get the point across, as he summoned a Slime Persona nearby the Koopa King. He then quickly dismissed it, to not draw too much attention towards them all. Bowser then saw official confirmation, that this was indeed that supposed rumored newcomer. He then knew that if Minato did get in, he would have to deal with fighting with him. He didn't want to deal with any more potential new fighters, so he had a sly idea come to mind.

"Hey Blue Mint. Can I look and hold your summoning gun thing?" Bowser asked. Minato complied, only due to not wanting the Koopa King to not, have any reason to dislike him. However this was about to backfire. "Thanks… chump!"

Without any warning, Bowser quickly threw it high into the air above him, and quickly took a deep breath. Before anyone could do anything, the Koopa King breathed a stream of fire into the air, charbroiling the Evoker. It soon came back on the ground as nothing more than black and gray ashes, surprising everyone.

"Later loser! I hope you don't get in the tournament, Blue Mint!" Bowser shouted. With that, Bowser ran off, to head back to Smash Tower. Pit who was finally fully conscious, and happened to see what Bowser did to Minato's Evoker earlier, was furious, as he quickly ran up to their table.

"That jerk! I'm going to give him a piece of my mind! We'll talk more in the future Minato!" Pit answered as he began to run after Bowser himself, shouting after the Koopa King who could only evilly laugh in response. Both SEES and the Investigation Team stared at each other, unsure of what to say till Yosuke decided to finally break the silence.

"Well that was… unexpected." Yosuke said uneasily. "That's an example of why the Investigation Team needs Evokers. To defend ourselves… though it looks like you need a new Evoker as well Minato,"

"Do you need my Evoker, Minato? I don't really need it to summon Juno really," Fuuka offered, as she was disheartened to see what just happened. Minato however had a smirk on his face, as while he would normally be feeling really annoyed by what just happened, it gave him an idea,"

"Actually… I think I can work this in my favor," Minato said with a smirk, confusing everyone else. "A way for me to get myself an Evoker, and the Investigation Team each an Evoker as well,"

We now see the chairmen's office and we see one of the chairmen currently in it. Sunset, as he was playing on his 3DS, a game of Sudoku alone, as the rest of his siblings were having dinner elsewhere, and he was currently addicted to playing Sudoku at the moment. He was currently trying to fit in what numbers to place across the game, as he heard someone enter the room.

"Whoever it is, I'll speak to you later. I'm currently in the middle of some-" but before Sunset could finish, he felt his 3DS was closed and grabbed out of his hands. Sunset sighed as he had a feeling who it was, who did that act. "… Sudoku… Mr. Arisato. What do you want?"

"My Evoker got burnt to a crisp due to a certain Bowser," Minato said. Sunset gritted his teeth in annoyance, as Bowser always liked to cause trouble. "I need you guys or The Master to provide me with a new Evoker."

"Oh? Is that all? That's no problem then." Sunset replied. However he soon heard something from Minato that made him get apprehensive.

"I also want eight extra Evokers besides the replacement you provide me," Minato stated. Sunset was very tempted to take off his orange tinted sunglasses and stare at the blue haired teenager with wide eyes.

"Err… why is that necessary?" Sunset questioned.

"It never hurts to have extras in case incidents like that happen to me or my friends," Minato said.

"But… I mean… two of your companions don't even need a traditional Evoker. I'm pretty sure that robot Aigis, has hers built within her, and that Shiba Inu dog, Koromaru wears that dog collar that functions as one. This seems rather excessive, don't you think?" Sunset questioned. Minato however decided to do something that made Sunset concerned, as the teen walked over to one of the glass windows in the office, and opened it up, allowing a cool breeze enter from outside. "What… what are you doing?"

"Excessive? Considering the way you treated my lover, I don't consider anything I do to you guys excessive. If you don't give me nine Evokers… I'm going to drop your gaming system out the window, and let gravity handle the rest," Minato said angrily. Sunset was blinking as he was hoping Mr. Arisato was joking.

"Now Mr. Arisato. Don't be so hasty. We can be civil and calm about this. Just close the window and-" but before Sunset can say any more, he saw that Minato was now holding the 3DS outside, as his arm stretched out. "**ACK! STOP!**"

"Give me nine Evokers," Minato said very seriously. Sunset was still fretting as he still wanted to discuss this, and rather not do that. "I see. I'm currently holding your gaming system with a full hand. I'm going to release a finger for every second from this point on. I say once I hit two fingers, that would be my limit, because I don't see one finger holding a full system,"

"Now wait just a…**EEK!**" Sunset screamed as he saw Minato unraveled one finger. With four remaining. Then three, and then finally two. "**STOP!** Alright I'll get you nine Evokers! Anything but my precious 3DS! I went digital with all my games, and all my save data for every game I ever played is on that thing! You win!"

"I'm glad we came to this agreement," Minato said with a smirk, as he pulled his arm and the handheld gaming system, back into the room, and he closed the window. Sunset sighed with immense relief. "I'm just going to hold onto this, till you get those Evokers for me,"

"You big jerk. I really hope The Master beats you up good, come that day." Sunset whined. "Gah. I should have called the elite Mii Fighter guards into this room, if it weren't the fact they requested the night off. Damn new TV shows people can't watch later… right. Well leave the office and wait outside. I'll get those Evokers for you,"

Minato left the office with a smirk, as he saw the rest of SEES waiting outside. They noticed from his facial expression, and the fact he was holding a 3DS, that things must have worked out. After about ten minutes had passed, Sunset exited, as he gave Minato a replacement Evoker and slowly but surely, placed eight small suitcases that each held an Evoker. Minato handed Sunset back his game system, as the orange chairman wore a scowl on his face.

"Now all of you, buzz off. I want some along time playing some Sudoku," Sunset whined, as they all left, with the others each taking a suitcase to hold, with the exception of Koromaru. As they walked away, Sunset whined quietly to himself. "Man The Master had a good chuckle at me. Though he was impressed how persuasive Mr. Arisato can be."

Minato and the rest of SEES were back in their own conference room, as Minato was now making a cellphone call to Yu, letting him know it all worked out. Both SEES and the Investigation Team, traded cellphone numbers earlier (as the Investigation Team bought new smart phones with permission from Elizabeth with her money for communication purposes, and along with that came new phone numbers, they needed to give to SEES). Yu suggested that SEES should visit them at the Langham Place hotel, to drop off the Evokers and to visit Elizabeth and Theodore. Needless to say, both teams were happy that more progress was made collectively, between them.

"Now they can all summon their Personas, in case they have to," Ken exclaimed happily. "That's awesome,"

"Plus we can see Elizabeth and Theodore tomorrow. I wonder what will come from that?" Junpei questioned.

"Yes. What will come of that? I wonder why they're here, but we'll soon find out," Akihiko questioned.

"Hopefully nothing else happens. Bowser is much more of a jerk compared to his son," Yukari remarked. "Why did he burn your Evoker? He didn't want you joining the current tournament?"

"It seems some people have mixed reception on you joining Arisato, if earlier has shown," Mitsuru stated.

"Regardless, Minato needed to replace his Evoker, and try to obtain ones for the members of the Investigation Team," Aigis said. Koromaru barked as Aigis translated for the dog. "Thankfully, it all worked out, Koromaru stated,"

"Still. Hopefully we don't get any more problems in the future," Shinjiro whined, as Bowser burning Minato's Evoker to ashes, was still in all their minds. "Dealing with jerks like that,"

"I hope we can get along in the future possibly," Fuuka pondered out loud. That was a rather tall order, all things considering. "Still glad to help the Investigation Team. Besides dropping off their Evokers tomorrow, as well as seeing both Elizabeth and Theodore, we still need to research the rest of the fighters, and all the other new information were allowed to know about,"

"Well considering we had firsthand experience with Bowser today, I think we got the general gist regarding his deal. But we can worry about learning more regarding the other fighters, and all that later, after we see the Investigation Team tomorrow," Minato stated, as they all agreed with their leader. "We'll see how it goes,"

We now switch to a different part of Smash Tower, as we see Bowser and Pit both sitting in separate benches in a room, in the hospital floor. Both had bandages all over. Both Pit and Bowser had black eyes on them, as they both glared at each other annoyed, while Mario in his doctor's uniform, was wrapping a bandage on Pit's right arm.

"If you didn't behave like a jerk, I wouldn't have had to punish you!" Pit stated annoyed.

"Yeah well if you didn't drag me out, with your stupid happy go lucky self and doing something before thinking it through, this would have never happened," Bowser whined back, as he referred to Pit, dragging him to see the teens, as he looked back at Pit annoyed. Both continued to stare at each other, as if trying to beat the other in a staring contest, since both beat each other up earlier, while Mario just sighed, as he continued to wrap a bandage around Pit's right arm. When he was done, Mario soon left the room, leaving the two alone. Both just eventually stopped, as they realized their staring contest wasn't going to amount to anything.

"Well… I guess I'll spend tomorrow asking for the returning fighters and Ryu to come to my room. I've yet to see them," Pit said quietly, as he planned to stay in bed tomorrow to rest.

"Good for you Chicken Wings. I don't care." Bowser replied back. "They're just more chumps waiting to get stomped on,"

"Whatever you say Bowser. Whatever you say," Pit replied with a sigh. "You think any other fighters will be returning, aside from Mewtwo, Roy, and Lucas?"

"Well… if I had to say, even if I rather not… Wolf? I like for him to come back, if we had more returning fighters. He was fun to be around at the very least sometimes," Bowser replied back. "I don't see them Ice Climbers coming back. What were their names? Poop and None?"

"The names of the Ice Climbers, are Popo and Nana you jerk!" Pit answered annoyed. "Anyway... I be fine with Wolf coming back. But what makes you think the Ice Climbers aren't coming back at all?"

"I just get that feeling for some reason. Call it my awesome villain's intuition. At least not for this tournament. Anyway, who else can possible come back possibly… oh yeah. That spy soldier guy," Bowser replied.

"You mean Snake? Yeah I love for him to come back as well," Pit answered back. "If you had to pick a new fighter, who would it be?"

"I'm not answering that." Bowser replied back, as he folded his arms, childishly.

"Why not?" Pit asked with curiosity.

"Because I don't want more new people, at least for this tournament in. Didn't you wonder why I burned Blue Mint's gun summoning thing to a crisp?" Bowser answered. Pit blinked for a few moments before realizing the implication.

"You wanted him to not be able to fight, as a way for him to not get in? That's why you burned his Evoker?" Pit asked.

"Evoker? Is that what they're called? Well anyway, yeah I did. You got a problem with that?" Bowser replied annoyed. Pit gritted his teeth once again, as both of them looked ready to fight once more. Suddenly, they both heard the sounds of bones making rather painful noises, as they both whined in pain. With that, they both just sighed and decided to drop the topic for now, as they both waited for Junior and Dark Pit respectively, to help walk them back to their rooms, to rest, as that was the end of another smashing day for the two.

**To Be Continued…  
**

**What did you guys think? Notes as always.**

**1\. Bowser saying he'll send Pit to Sky World, was kind of a way to reference the location from Pit's game, and as another way for saying he'll send Pit back to heaven. **

**2\. Fuuka has shown to use her Persona, without her Evoker, so her offering Minato her Evoker, was not allowing her to not summon her Persona, if he had accepted. **

**3\. Ice Climbers are extremely unlikely to return to Smash Bros for 3DS/Wii U (at least the way they were in both Melee and Brawl), due to Sakurai stating that they could not run on 3DS hardware. Both Smash 3DS and Wii U, were promised to have the same roster (this also applies to all future DLC characters, whether they be returning veterans or newcomers). Since they could not work on the 3DS, they were also dropped from the Wii U version, regardless if they worked on it or not.**

**4\. I like Bowser using nicknames on people he doesn't really care for, or respect that much. Fitting for his character as in the Mario &amp; Luigi RPG games, he constantly refers to Luigi as green stache (till the ending of Dream Team finally, as Luigi finally earned Bowser's respect), so Bowser calling Pit and Minato nicknames was fitting in my opinion.**

**5\. Have a Nice Talk is the event music that plays in Mario &amp; Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story for mainly comical scenes that end up happening to either Bowser or the Mario Bros (since you play as both Bowser and the Mario Bros in that game) in some way. Figure it fit the comical (mostly...) situations that kind of ended up happening.**

**Well that's about it for now. If you have any comments, criticisms, concerns, etc, don't be afraid to state them. Otherwise I hope you enjoyed the chapter and the story so far. Till next chapter!**


	33. Suggesting Bet & Evoking One's Self

**Chapter 33 is finally here! Work has been taking up time, so sorry about how long it's been. Before I move on as usual, I'll address the previous reviews as usual.**

**First off the review, suggesting I make a chapter involving Akihiko challenging Ryu to a fight. I can maybe see it happening. Maybe. I can't say if it'll happen or not but I considered it. As for a Persona and Street Fighter crossover involving Akihiko from the same reviewer... I don't know. I have nothing against Street Fighter and it's characters, but I have no real personal investment in the series, and I don't really care for Street Fighter (but I don't dislike it). I don't see myself realistically making it, at least as of right now. Sorry.**

**From Dario Flaman, yes. The Investigation Team are definitely getting Evokers. Thank you, as well as everyone else, for your and their patience. Thank you.**

**As always, if you have anything you want to say, speak up on, etc, don't be afraid to do so. That's about it for now, so I hope you enjoy this chapter, and the story so far. Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

It was now September 27th in the morning. We see Bowser and Pit both begrudgingly walking to the chairmen's office, still looking beat up and in bandages, as they still didn't fully heal from last night's scuffle from each other as they still felt sore, as the three elite Mii Fighter guards were behind them, escorting them. Bowser normally didn't care for the elite Mii Fighter guards, and Pit wasn't pleased with them lately, after learning what they did, earlier this month. They walked into the chairmen's office, as the eight chairmen were already there. Bowser kept grumbling under his mouth, as he was whining how this was all stupid and pointless.

"Bowser… Pit… you two weren't supposed to be at Central Park," Azure stated calmly. Bowser folded his arms while Pit merely glared back. "You two know, that event was meant to promote the announcements we had prepared for the public,"

Before Pit could say anything in his defense, Bowser yelled out for the two of them, beforehand.

"We don't care what you chumps think! Isn't that right Chicken Wings?" Bowser said, as he tried to get Pit to play along rebelliously. Pit's face frowned in annoyance as he sighed, and decided to talk, before Bowser did any more talking for him.

"I was at Central Park earlier that night to get some time away from the others at Smash Tower. That was my mistake," Pit said begrudgingly, as he still disliked the chairmen. "As for Bowser… well you should ask him,"

"**HEY!** Whose side are you on, Chicken Wings!?" Bowser snapped back, angrily. Fuchsia decided to speak next.

"You should know better, rulers of the Koopas. To not stoop to Pit's level," Fuchsia stated, while Bowser yelled back in response.

"Shut up! Don't compare me to Chicken Wings! I am way above him, all things considering." Bowser shouted.

"Pit is an angel. They are technically servants of the gods. I say that's pretty above a mortal king," Jade said with smugness, causing Bowser to grit his sharp teeth in annoyance.

"Anyway… the point is, you two are in trouble for not following the rules. Not very positive role models to follow, for fellow fighters in terms of following the rules," Golden stated.

"So what's our punishment?" Pit whined, as he had a feeling he was about to face off against some ridiculously strong Mii Fighters who in some Cruel Smash matches. The Mii Fighters that served under the three elite Mii Fighters, were known as the Fighting Mii Team, with the best of the best, known for being cruel, under their three superior's training.

"Bring on them cruel bozos! I've fought cruel punks since the Melee Tournament, with no problem!" Bowser boasted, as he referenced the fact he fought Wireframes (the Melee Tournament's equivalent to Mii Fighters) and the Alloys (which were the Brawl Tournament's equivalent to the Mii Fighters). Though in reality, he was just trying to sound tough as he was in reality, pretty nervous and really hoped that wasn't the case.

"As amusing it would be, to see you team up against Brawler, Sword-Fighter, and Gunner's best employees under them, and get smashed, no that isn't the case," Sunset said, with a cocky grim.

"In all actuality, we were thinking of needing some helping hands for something else," Sky lazily said with a yawn. Both Pit and Bowser looked confused, as they looked towards each other, and simply shrugged. This was certainty a surprise.

"Need our helping hands for what?" Pit asked curiously.

"You two are aware that we have possibly more potential fighters who can join this current tournament right?" Gray stated bluntly. Both nodded, though they were unsure what the grey wearing chairman, was going with this. "Well… what's your thoughts on a suggestion box?"

"A suggestion box? You mean for people to suggest new chumps to join this current tournament?" Bowser said confused, as all eight chairmen nodded towards him.

"Well you know, fighters from all over, have their fans. The Master told us last night, after the announcements in Central Park, it be fun to allow the people to have a say, on who should be in and why. Of course, The Master will ultimately decide for himself who gets in, but he figure it be nice for the fans of Super Smash Bros to participate in voting. As of this morning we have opened up the suggestion box and have already allowed people to start suggesting," Crimson stated.

"OK, but what do you need our help for?" Pit asked, as he scratched his head in confusion. "I don't see how we can be of any help,"

"Oh but we do," Azure stated very calmly, yet in a way, that sent chills up both Pit and Bowser's spine, as they knew the blue chairman was scary, when he took that tone with them. "As you know, workers are needed to read votes, at a polling booth during an election. Originally we were going to have our many wonderful employees handle such a task, or hire workers for such a task. But seeing how two you need to be punished, and we need to do this. So why not kill two birds in one stone and…"

"No way! I wanted to ask Pittoo to invite Mewtwo, Roy, Lucas, and Ryu into my bedroom, before I got dragged up here. We have other things to do, besides looking at suggestions, no offense!? Right Bowser?" Pit whined as he turned to face the Koopa King. Bowser however was actually contemplating this decision as he stopped to think. Pit could not believe the sight he was seeing, as the Koopa King was doing this.

"Well I rather do this then fight some cruel Fighting Mii Team bozos so… yeah sure, why not?" Bowser answered nonchalantly. Pit stared back at Bowser with his face wide open and hanging, as he couldn't believe the answer he heard, while all the chairmen smirked.

"Good. Then in that case, we'll setup what you two need to do the," Crimson stated. Soon all of them found walked to a different office on the same floor, into a big empty office room, that had a computer and a huge monitor on a large fancy circular table, with couches all around, a water cooler, and some other amenities. "The Master wants his two workers to be comfy while they start sifting all the ballots."

"How long are we on… suggestion box duty?" Pit asked, uneasily, as he had a feeling this was going to get annoying

"You two have to do this the whole day, for today. You two don't get off till midnight." Gray stated bluntly.

"**OH COME ON!?**" Pit whined, as his eyes looked desperate as he also cringed. "The whole day!?"

"You break the rules, you deal with the punishments. Unless you rather fight the cruelest of the Fighting Mii Team," Gunner stated in a cocky manner.

"Well yes, but I rat-" but before Pit could finish his sentence, Bowser slammed his fist on top of Pit's head, as his way of telling the angel, to shut up, as Pit looked back at Bowser annoyed, as he rubbed his head from pain.

"Good to see some people can be obedient," Azure stated.

"It's just one day. Plus you guys can still get stuff. Want food? Order room service. That's an example of that," Golden stated positively.

"Don't try any funny stuff. We'll be guarding the outside of your door, to see if you two try to get out of your duty," Sword-Fighter said seriously, as Brawler pounded his fists with his yellow gloves, to show they were serious. Both Pit and Bowser simply sighed at the sight, and simply nodded.

"Just get on that computer, look through all the suggestions, and organize them. Make folders for each fighter suggested and place a person's suggestion into it, and that's it. Simple. We'll personally sift through them all later, but for right now, we need people to organize them." Sky said with a yawn, as the thought of him doing that, didn't sit well with him, as he was the lazy one of the chairmen.

"Well that should be it. Have fun," Sunset said, as all the chairmen left, while the three elite Mii Fighters, stood outside their door. Pit looked at Bowser with a glare, as Bowser folded his arms looking annoyed back at the angel.

"You don't get to be angry with me Chicken Wings! It was your fault you were at Central Park, last night, not mine," Bowser shouted, annoyed.

"What happened to the Koopa King who wasn't afraid of fighting some cruel Mii Fighters?" Pit taunted, with his own annoyed eyes.

"Yeah well you don't get to be king, making dumb decisions. I'm not getting myself beat up by those bozos, even though I can take them, which I'm stating right now for future purposes," Bowser said, while Pit rolled his eyes.

"Funny. This is coming from the guy that gets constantly beaten, by someone hitting the switch or axe behind him. Which in turn causes you to fall into a giant hole, and gets his plans foiled," Pit taunted back. Bowser looked very embarrassed as he tried to think of a comeback. "Ha! You know I'm right!"

"Shut it! I'm sure your green haired boss has plenty of stories about you doing dumb stuff. Like she told everyone else you aren't afraid to eat ice cream off the floor you dirty chicken!" Bowser yelled back.

"Floor ice cream gives you health!" Pit whined back, as he jumped up and down, like a child, while Bowser rolled his eyes, from what he just heard.

"Whatever. Man it was one thing seeing you during the Brawl Tournament, but hearing all this stuff like that about you from your green haired boss, makes me take you even less seriously then before," Bowser taunted with glee.

"Fine. I admit it. I've done stupid stuff as well," Pit begrudgingly said, as Bowser smirked from hearing that. "Well… anyway we should get started on those suggestions,"

Bowser nodded, as they both walked up to the computer in the room, and sat at the large couch in front of it. Pit turned the PC on, as he waited for it to power on. As they waited, Bowser decided to say a couple of things.

"Man… kids these days are so lucky. Growing up with all this new technology and being able to adapt to them quickly. Junior and his siblings are really good with this stuff," Bowser said calmly.

"Is that so?" Pit asked as Bowser nodded back. "To be honest, I don't really use computers much, especially from the world I'm from. Occasionally though,"

"What do you use it for? Is it for anything… naughty?" Bowser taunted with a smug grin, while Pit felt embarrassed from what he heard.

"No way! Nothing like that! Lady Palutena be so disappointed in me…I think," Pit answered bashfully, as Bowser chuckled softly at the angel's reaction. "I just use it to check out a site called Divinipedia,"

"Hey you never know. I bet your evil twin isn't afraid to do stuff like that," Bowser mused, as they still waited for the PC to boot up.

"Pittoo? Nah. He has a crush on Lucina, remember? I don't think he be like that," Pit answered back.

"Oh yeah. Your evil twin does have a thing for Marth in drag… well Marth himself is already pushing it," Bowser teased.

"Ha ha. Very funny," Pit replied sarcastically back. "Still I hope he gets with her one day. Lucina's a good girl. I think they be a good couple,"

"It'll happen the day when Captain Falcon can outrun that blue hedgehog. As in, never," Bowser taunted.

"Want to bet?" Pit said with a smirk. Bowser smirked back as well, interested to see how this conversation was proceeding. "If Pittoo and Lucina get together as a couple, before the year ends, then you have to… dress up in a tutu and dance to any song of my choice in front of the other fighters,"

"Deal! If your evil twin doesn't get with Marth in drag, by the end of the year, then you have to dress up in a tutu and dance to a song of my choice in front of everyone!" Bowser said back, as they both shook hands. "Get ready to look even more dumb Chicken Wings!"

"We'll see about that!" Pit said back with a smirk, as they both laughed at the prospect, of the other losing the best, while both dreading internally if they lost. Soon the computer finally opened up, as Pit grabbed the mouse on the table, while Bowser grabbed a piece of paper that was also on it, that had the instructions for what they had to do. It listed the website for the ballot, and the instructions to make folders for each suggested fighter, and to label each suggestion with a number, to make it easier to count the number of votes.

"Alright. Let's see who is getting suggested to join our current tournament," Pit said out loud, while Bowser simply sighed. "The first suggestion we got was… King K. Rool?"

"No way. This competition has enough evil reptiles. Myself and Junior. We don't need some crocodile with a messed up eye getting in," Bowser whined. "I deny him,"

"Like you have that right. Anyway I'll make a folder for him and his suggestions. I don't even know who he is, aside from what you said. Next suggestion… Rayman?" Pit stated blankly

"Who's Rayman? Is he like Mega Man? Pac-Man?" Bowser stated puzzled. Pit could only shrug as he wasn't familiar with this person.

"I don't know. Suggestion number three is… Wonder Red?" Pit said, curious about that name.

"Wonder Red? Sounds like a blunder." Bowser said. "That and I don't even know who he is, along with that Rayman guy from earlier,"

"Well I don't know who he is either," Pit said as went into a thinking position, as it slowly dawned on him and Bowser, that they weren't going to know a lot of these potential fighters. "It's not like we normally know about people from universes that aren't from our own, or those from the others in this competition,"

"Good point Chicken Wings. I guess I can research them on the side while you handle the suggestions," Bowser noted as he pulled out what appeared to be a very large smartphone, (since the Koopa King himself was a very large individual). "Let's start with Rayman… what the heck? He's got no arms and legs!?"

"Huh?" Pit said in response, He took a look at the photo that Bowser looked at and stared blankly back. "He looks… peculiar,"

"You know… you think I be used to these weirdos by now and that's saying something. I'm still getting used to that gluttonous lemon ball who joined us," Bowser replied to Pit.

"Well Pac is still a nice guy, though his huge belly along with Kirby and Yoshi, sometime empty out the cafeteria," Pit answered back sheepishly, while Bowser just crossed his arms.

"Whatever. Let's get this over with," Bowser grumbled, as Pit decided to go through the suggestions while Bowser decided to go through research, as they occasionally switched positions.

* * *

It was still September 27th in the morning as we see the SEES members decided to meet up with the Investigation Team, at the hotel known as the Langahm Place, as they wanted to deliver the spare Evokers they had on them. Everyone (except Koromaru and Minato) was carrying a metal suitcase on them, that each hold an Evoker, they planned to give to each of the Investigation Team members. They eventually arrived at the building and went inside into the lobby, and saw the Investigation Team waiting for them. They followed them into the floor, while the adult workers in the lobby, and couldn't stare at the huge group, for various reasons. Soon they were all on the floor that the Investigation Team, along with Elizabeth and Theodore were staying in, as they were in a hall way that had doors to three separate rooms.

"Elizabeth and Theodore had to step out, but they'll be back later to see you guys," Yu explained, as the two Velvet Room attendants were not present. "Would your group mind teaching us how to use Evokers in the mean time?"

"No problem at all," Minato replied with a smirk. They decided to split into two groups as the boys and girls from both groups. The boys went into the room the male Investigation Team members shared, while the girls went to the room the female Investigation Team members shared. The room had elements from things that each girl liked depending on the part of the room (martial arts posters from Chie, comedy videos from Yukiko, musical CDs from Rise, and detective novels from Naoto, etc). We focus on the girls for now as we see Chie getting a suitcase from Yukari, Yukiko getting a suitcase from Mitsuru, Rise getting a suitcase from Fuuka, and Naoto being given a suitcase from Aigis. The Investigation Team girls, opened their suitcases and stared, at the clean Evokers, that now belonged to them. They all looked… nervous, as they realized the action they would have to perform to summon their Persona, with their new devices.

"So umm… you just… point it at your head and just press the trigger right?" Chie said with a weak smile, as she tried to be brave, but her face was sweating a bit now, as she was feeling pretty nervous. Yukari nodded, and tried to stay calm for her.

"Yeah. I don't blame you for being nervous. I remember I could barely use my Evoker when I first got it. It's… a little nerve wracking, I'm not going to lie," Yukari said. "But… over time, I got used to it, and I'm no longer as hesitant. Still, I do understand it might take time,"

Chie nodded, and felt a little better compared to before. Chie slowly reached for the Evoker, in the suitcase, as everyone turned to look at her, feeling concerned. She stared at it, as her face was a mix of fear and frustration. Chie looked to everyone else in the room, as they gave her a reassuring smile (though the smiles the other Investigation Team members had, were full of apprehension as well). Chie took a deep breath and sighed, as it was now or nothing. She slowly raised it to her head, as she yelled out following, as she pulled the trigger.

"Don't think, feel!" Chie yelled out, as a sound of a gunshot roared out. As soon as she pulled the trigger, her Persona appeared behind her. Her Persona being Tomoe, a being based of a famous female samurai from ancient Japanese time. The being wore a yellow, black, and white jumpsuit, and a white helmet on her head, with a visor that showed two fully yellow eyes. Tomoe was a strong physical fighter and had some icy magic as well. Chie then dismissed her Persona as she placed the Evoker back in the suitcase, and held her chest, breathing hard.

"Wow. That was crazy," Chie said, as she wasn't used to summoning her Persona like this at all. "I guess I'm so used to summoning my Persona, in a place like the Midnight Channel that makes it a lot easier. I'm going to have to get used to this,"

Yukiko then raised her hand, to show that she wanted to be the next one to see if she could use her Evoker. She slowly picked up her Evoker and stared at it, as she gulped.

"It's one thing to see someone use this on themselves… but to actually do it, is a different story," Yukiko said a bit nervously.

"I know how you feel. I remember seeing it as a young child, and being very concerned." Mitsuru said. "But, I know you can face your fear, like how you all have faced your own personal Shadows. You can do this,"

Yukiko nodded. She soon slowly raised her Evoker to her head, though her teeth were chattering a bit. She decided to pull the trigger as a gunshot run out.

"Konohana-Sakuya!" Yukiko exclaimed as she called out the name of her Persona. A humanoid deity garbed in a pink feather dress, with a pink helmet and yellow eyes, and had a very regal and Asian like appearance. Yukiko dismissed her Persona, as she placed her Evoker back in its suitcase. She put on a thinking expression, as she was thinking about how that went. She then busted out laughing, surprising everyone, but Chie, Rise, and Naoto who all sighed, as they knew Yukiko had a peculiar sense of humor, especially as of late.

"Are you… OK?" Mitsuru asked both concerned and confused.

"That was a lot of fun actually! Way more convenient and cool then summoning a Persona in the Midnight Channel!" Yukiko replied, while she still giggled. Chie just rolled her eyes and sighed, but smiled that her best friend got accustomed to using her Evoker fast. Rise sighed very loudly, as she turned to look at her Evoker.

"Well… being in the idol business… I've seen a lot of weird things over the years. The Inaba murder mystery being one of them. Summoning my Persona with… this, shouldn't be too bad," Rise said, to try to sound more confident. Fuuka nodded to her with a gentle smile that made Rise nod back with confidence. She pointed her Evoker at her head, as she was prepared to use it, as she slowly pulled the trigger.

"Lights… camera… and...action!" Rise exclaimed as the sound of a gunshot, was heard, as Rise's Persona Himiko appeared around her, in its analyzing form (since during the P-1 Climax incident, it also had a combat form). It resembled an elegant women wearing a white gown, with a rather satellite like head, who was supposedly a famous Japanese queen, from ancient times. Rise dismissed it, and held her head, while Fuuka went up to Rise, and held her in a warm embrace, concerned for the girl.

"Thank you Fuuka-san. Just going to have to get used to this," Rise said, as Fuuka nodded concerned. Rise then returned the hug, making the other navigator happy, to see Rise was alright. Naoto was now the center of attention, as she stared at her Evoker. Aigis tilted her head, as she was sensing Naoto's blood level dropping.

"Naoto-san. You seem very nervous," Aigis stated. Naoto simply sighed as she knew, that the blonde haired robot girl was right.

"You are correct. It's just… the main weapons I use are handguns. If all of us members of the Investigation Team do manage to procure weapons… and for whatever reason, my Evoker and handguns get mixed up…" Naoto stated uneasily, as everyone realized her implications.

"Oh dear!" Fuuka said, as she could see why Naoto would be apprehensive about using her Evoker. "Perhaps you should use a different weapon while in this world then?"

"That is a good suggestion Yamagishi-san. One I'll definitely consider, Still… your love…err your leader…" Naoto stated awkwardly, as she realized what she said as she felt embarrassed, while Fuuka blushed immensely, while all the other girls in the room giggled and smiled softly at what they heard. "…Minato-san has procured these Evokers for all of us. I still want to try it out for myself, to not waste his efforts,"

"It is all up to you, Naoto-san. Do what you feel is best for yourself," Aigis stated, with everyone else nodding in agreement. Naoto nodded back to the blonde haired robot. With that, Naoto took her Evoker and slowly pointed it at her own head, and slowly pulled the trigger.

"Come, Sukuna-Hikona!" Naoto shouted, as another loud gunshot roared out, as she summoned her Persona. A small being garbed in a blue Kamen Rider like uniformed outfit appeared, with an insect like face, as it wielded a long cyan translucent blade. Naoto dismissed her Persona as she took a deep breath, getting used to this new summoning method.

"It's quite different, then what I'm personally used too," Naoto stated with both unease and curiosity.

"Well… hopefully the boys adjusted to using their Evokers with no problems," Yukiko stated. We switch scenes to the room that the male Investigation Team members shared (which included things that each member liked (like Yosuke's CD of bands known as Nickelback and Linkin Park, Teddie having an outfit of that Alice costume he once wore for a beauty pageant, and Kanji had a lot of knitting needles and yarn around). Yosuke, Kanji, and Teddie were arguing as they kept pushing one of the others to use their Evokers first, while the male SEES members watched with blank expressions, while Yu just sighed.

"You should go first Yosuke sempai! You're pretty much second in command of the Investigation Team!" Kanji shouted in a panicked tone.

"No way! Umm… Teddie should go first! They say chicks like guys who are brave!" Yosuke responded in a panicked manner.

"Hey! Well… Kanji should go! Doing this is pretty manly and tough, isn't that right?" Teddie tried to say, as the three continued to argue. Junpei turned to face Akihiko, Shinjiro, Ken, and Minato, as he decided to whisper something to them, while Koromaru looked concerned at the three boys still arguing.

"I know it's kind of scary to use an Evoker the first time but… damn. I didn't think it be this bad," Junpei whispered, as he placed a hand on his hat, and sighed.

"They'll get used to it… hopefully," Ken said feeling a bit embarrassed, to see the three arguing like this. The three kept arguing till Shinjiro rolled his eyes and had enough of what he was watching, as he decided to get the three's attention.

"You three should just get it over with." Shinjiro shouted calmly in a commanding tone, as Yosuke, Kanji, and Teddie looked at him, a bit nervously. "Think of it like… ripping off a band aid. It's going to hurt like hell, but you do it once, and it's all over,"

"Shinji's right. It'll be jarring at first, but you'll get used to summoning your Persona, though an Evoker," Akihiko encouraged as Yosuke, Kanji, and Teddie looked a bit more confident, compared to before.

"You guys will be fine. Why don't you just all summon your Personas at the same time? That way no one has to see who goes first," Minato suggested.

"That's… a good idea," Yosuke said as he stared blankly back at Minato.

"Let's do it guys. I've yet to use my Evoker as well, so we'll all do it together," Yu suggested, as Yosuke, Kanji, and Teddie all nodded to him, grinning with confidence now, as their leader reassured them. The four each picked up their Evokers, as the sounds of four gunshots rang out, as they each summoned their own Personas.

Yu's main Persona was a being known as Izanagi, which wore a black trench coat, held a large blade, and wore a white mask over its face. Yosuke's Persona was a humanoid frog like being known as Jiraiya, that wore a white jumpsuit, wielded ninja stars, and had a long flowing red cape. Kanji's Persona was Taka-Mikazuchi, as a large black robot with skull shaped patterns and designs on it, as it wielded a large lightning bolt shaped weapon. Teddie's Persona was a red spherical looking being known as Kintouki-Douji that wore a blue cape, and held a tomahawk missile. The four then dismissed their Personas, as Yosuke, Kanji, and Teddie fell to the floor, feeling a bit dazed, as their eyes swirled for a bit, while Yu took some deep breaths.

"You'll all get used to it, after some time," Minato said, to reassure them. They nodded back to him.

"Well that's that. You rock Minato!" Kanji exclaimed happily.

"Getting us all Evokers was so nice of you dude. Sorry myself, Kanji, and Teddie were acting like chickens earlier," Yosuke said embarrassed.

"Hey! I'm a bear… well normally. Not a chicken Yosuke." Teddie whined. "But thank you Minato. You're just as cool as sensei!"

"If you guys need any help or support, don't be afraid to contact us Minato. The Investigation Team are ready to now assist the Shadow Operatives… or rather, the members of SEES, whenever we can," Yu said with a confident smirk. Minato smiled, and was about to respond to them, till they all heard a door knock, onto the door leading into their room. Kanji suddenly had a panicked face.

"**OH CRAP!** When we all used our Evokers… did anyone outside hear those gunshot sounds from outside?" Kanji shouted, afraid.

"That shouldn't be the case. The rooms are all supposed to be soundproof," Teddie said. Yosuke stared at Teddie curiously, after he heard that.

"Where did you hear that from? I mean it makes sense, considering these are some really nice rooms, and they should be soundproof for the money they cost to rent them, but I don't think we were ever explicitly told that," Yosuke asked with curiosity.

"Well I was trying to press my ear against the wall, to hear the girls talk from their room and…" But Teddie instantly covered his mouth, as he realized what he just said. Yosuke and Kanji looked really embarrassed, while the male SEES members just sighed or looked away. Yu cleared his throat as he spoke to get the attention away from Teddie, who was grinning sheepishly.

"Anyway, we should open the door and see who it is," Yu mentioned, as he walked over to the door in their room, and opened it up. Outside stood Theodore, still dressed in his usual Velvet Room uniform.

"Elizabeth and myself, would like to see her guest and all of his companions in our room," Theodore requested. The SEES members nodded, and they stepped outside into the hallway, and noticed that Elizabeth was outside the room that had the girls, as the female SEES members were with her. They all nodded to each other, as they walked to another door in the hallway and walked in, as they all saw a rather, velvety blue room. It wasn't like the other ones, but it still felt familiar nonetheless, as they were inside now.

**To Be Continued…**

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**What did you guys think? Notes as always. **

**1\. For those who don't know, as of the time of this writing (September 2015), the Smash Ballot will soon be ending, as the ballot will soon be finishing on October 3rd, 2015. The ballot will result in additional characters (a number of which, we don't know exactly yet, and who they are), for both Super Smash Bros 3DS &amp; Wii U. When those characters will be announced and distributed will be unknown. The first half of this chapter is to setup possibly, for those additional characters, to enter the story, depending on the circumstances. We'll see.**

**2\. Pit talking about Divinipedia is a reference to a website that is a parody of Wikipedia, mentioned in Kid Icarus Uprising, that a character named Pyrrhon mentions.**

**3\. The characters Pit and Bowser were discussing, were some of many suggestions that people want in the game. Who will ultimately make it, we will see eventually. **

**4\. Yosuke's room in Persona 4 Arena shows stuff like the Nickelback and Linkin Park CDs which he apparently is actually a fan of.**

**5\. Each character's stuff in their rooms, reference things about them in general. Like Kanji with knitting, or Chie with martial arts, and etc.**

**6\. Yukiko's character in the spinoff games has made her more distinguished with their writing and humor, as she has more of a distinct sense of humor in those games, as evidenced in this chapter.**

**7\. Naoto's weapons are handguns. Evokers are shaped liked handguns. I think she be naturally more concerned about using them, compared to the other Investigation Team members, for that reason alone. It be like the Persona 5 Protagonist using an Evoker (as opposed to using a mask from what they've shown off so far), as he also uses handguns.**

**Well that's about it for now. Like before, if you have anything you want to say, go for it. Otherwise I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and the story in general so far. Till next time.**


	34. A Velvet Request

**Hey everyone. So happy to finally get this chapter done. It's been such a while since the previous one. I apologize once more. Work was keeping me busy and I had some personal matters to deal with. As usual I will address the reviews for the previous chapters before moving on. **

**No it's fine Dario Flaman. I think it's fine to express whatever characters you want to be the winner of the Smash Bros Ballot, as I'm sure many people have their own choices, of who they want to be included. To iterate, Kanji panicking over the gunshot sounds made in the previous chapters was due to them using their Evokers. I hope you get a character you want in.**

**As for CGstryker, who do I want to win the Ballot? Well I personally have a lot of choices I'm generally open to. Most of the most requested characters I'm for the most part open to. One example being King K. Rool. So as long as the character is fun to play, and is done well, I think I be alright. It's fine to express who you want as well, and I have no problem with Bandana Waddle Dee getting in.**

**I also want to note, that the views expressed by characters regarding any of the requested Ballot characters (this includes the previous chapter) for this chapter, and for the future in general, do not necessarily reflect my own personal views about them. Other then that, this chapter has a recommended music track that is very appropriate considering the situation and location. Otherwise I hope you all enjoy this chapter and the story so far, and thank you all so much for your patience. Enjoy the chapter.**

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_*** Aria of the Soul - (Persona 3) ***_

For the members of SEES, being in this kind of room wasn't as familiar (though Aigis had her fair share of time, as she became a Wild Card, during an incident that took place after Minato sacrificed his life) though they recalled being in such a room, during their time working with the Investigation Team during the labyrinths incident. Minato himself felt a huge sense of nostalgia as he and the others sat on the blue couches in the room, as both Elizabeth and Theodore were both seen looking outside the windows, as the Empire State Building was seen from the view. They both turned around to face the SEES members.

"Welcome. Welcome to the Velvet Room… that would be what our master would say, if he was present right now," Theodore stated. Minato and Aigis nodded as they recalled Igor the most, while the others had a vague recollection of the man with the very long pointy nose, after the events of a certain time filled incident that occurred at the Iwatodai Dormitory.

"I remember there being another one of you guys as well. Another lady, during that whole labyrinth incident," Yukari mused out loud. Elizabeth chuckled in response, from hearing that.

"Ah yes. My older sister Margaret. The one who helped her guest who searched for the truth. She is not currently present in this world, as far as I'm aware. She has chosen to stay behind, from the world we all come from, to await the return of our master, in case he returns," Elizabeth replied.

"Actually… didn't she have some girl that hung out with her?" Junpei mused. "Some girl that was with your older sister, if I remember right,"

"Oh… you mean Marie," Theodore said, as he recalled that Marie was with Margaret. "Well she was present with us during that incident involving the labyrinths from what I recall as well."

"In any case, Marie is also not present with us. I imagine she is still frozen among all the beings that still dwell from the world we come from," Elizabeth stated. "In any rate, I believe it's time we start elucidating why we are here,"

"Yes. We were all rather taken aback, to learn from the Investigation Team, that you two were present as well," Mitsuru stated.

"Well let's hear what you two have to say," Akihiko said seriously as both Velvet Room attendants nodded towards them.

"Very well. I believe I shall start. I was continuing my own journey to… help my guest who I care dearly for, to be given a new chance at life, due to his kindness to show me what his world was like," Elizabeth stated, as everyone realized she was referring to Minato. "I was paying a visit to his soul that still stood guard against the beast known as Erebus. As I paid my visit, my younger brother came to see me,"

"Our older sister Margaret was concerned for Elizabeth and asked me to see her. Once I paid her visit, I told her how our older sister was waiting by a place, Elizabeth always visits during the changing of the Gregorian years," Theodore stated.

"What place would that be?" Ken asked curiously.

"Where my guest's physical body was laid to rest," Elizabeth said quietly. All the SEES members felt a little awkward in a solemn manner hearing this. "I agreed to my siblings request, as I along with Theo went towards that site, where we met with our older sister,"

"From there we met with our older sister Margaret, as we took a view towards the grave that belonged to Elizabeth's guest," Theodore answered as Aigis suddenly raised her hand. "Yes? What do you wish to have answered?"

"How come… Fuuka-san and myself didn't sense you two when we visited Minato's grave?" Aigis said. However the others looked a bit surprised from what they heard.

"Aigis-san… you and Fuuka-san visited Minato's grave?" Ken asked as both the blonde robot and teal haired girl nodded towards the young boy. "Ah. You two must have been the ones who left those rose bouquets for Minato-san and why you two were the last ones to arrive,"

"Yes. Sorry we didn't tell you but it was a really… personal moment," Fuuka answered quietly.

"Hey it's alright Fuuka. No big deal. Everyone has their own private moments," Junpei answered nonchalantly. "Anyway, we should let these two continue their story,"

"Yes. While we were present, the reason you and Ms. Yamagishi weren't able to detect our presence, was that the three of us chose to hide our presence with our own powers," Theodore explained.

"Speaking of which, we were also hiding ourselves in that theater, where the one known as The Master spoke to you all, as well as bringing my sister's guest and his companions into this world," Elizabeth explained.

"So I take it, you two know about everything that went down in that theater then?" Shinjiro asked, as both Velvet Room attendants nodded towards him. "Guess that saves the trouble of us explaining that whole thing to you all. Though that begs the question on how you two even got here in the first place,"

"We will eventually arrive to that point. Going back to what we were discussing before, we were at the site of the grave that belonged to my guest. We watched as the one that represents both the Chariot and Aeon Arcana, and the one of the Priestess Arcana, paid their respects." Elizabeth explained.

"Eventually, we saw all of you surround the grave that belonged to my sister's guest. Soon came the passing of the previous year, into the new one but then…" Theodore explained.

"Something was amiss. Then something of significance happened as you were all… along with my guests' physical body were taken away." Elizabeth stated. "Then time froze like the very natural surroundings present in the season of Winter naturally,"

"So Elizabeth along with myself and our older sister Margaret soon found that her guest's soul, that prevented the being known as Erebus from reaching Nyx was gone, and in it's place was an immensely powerful barrier that wouldn't receive any damage whatsoever." Theodore explained.

"Well that's one good thing to be confirmed for sure. That huge monster is not getting around that," Junpei said with a sigh of relief. "I remember when we all faced off against that thing a long time ago. Not the best memory to have at all,"

"So what happened next?" Yukari asked, curious to see how this story was continuing.

"Margaret decided to check on her guest and his companions just to see if they were alright. I visited our Velvet Room to see if our master was alright, while Elizabeth decided to stay and see if she can find anything of interest," Theodore explained.

"Which I eventually did. I reconvened with my siblings the next day. Margaret informed me that her guests and her companions were not present, and Theodore informed me that our master was not present for some reason," Elizabeth stated.

"Huh. I guess it kind of makes sense why the Investigation Team wouldn't be present. If they were taken during the year of 2012, then they shouldn't be appearing in 2014… I think?" Akihiko stated, a bit confused.

"Time travel… what a pain to understand," Shinjiro said, as he sighed right after.

"You were saying something about finding something of interest," Mitsuru asked out of curiosity. Elizabeth nodded towards Mitsuru.

"Yes. Near the place where that impenetrable barrier was formed, came a door that was not present before. A pure white door that had a black circular symbol that looked most peculiar," Elizabeth stated, before the others had an idea of what that symbol was.

"That symbol you saw, must have been the Smash Bros symbol," Ken stated, as Elizabeth nodded towards the young member.

"Indeed. At the time, I did not know of its meaning and or significance. Though something more interesting was present on the door. Eight chains with eight locks of eight different colors, were wrapped tightly around the door, preventing anyone from opening it," Elizabeth replied. They all took in this information curiously, as the sounds of chains and doors was ever so familiar. But what made them curious were the eight different colors.

"Each chain and lock as of a different color?" Aigis stated, as she was starting to be reminded of eight color coded chairmen, and eight different colored order tickets.

"Yes. The colors being red, blue, yellow, green, orange, cyan, purple, and gray," Theodore stated, as the SEES members noted, that The Master and the chairmen working for him, really liked to organize things by color. "These chains proved to be just as impenetrable, as that barrier. We could all but do nothing but wait. However… eventually come the date of February 13th of this current year…the red lock that bounded the red metal chains unlocked itself for some reason,"

"Wait! That date was when Minato had his first order battle!" Fuuka exclaimed, as the rest of SEES noted the connection.

"So the chains did unlock in correspondence with something," Elizabeth noted. "As time passed, during a certain date in each coming month, they would unlock themselves, one by one. The last chain eventually unlocked itself, earlier this month,"

"With all the chains gone, we both entered as Margaret decided to remain behind, in case our master returned. We emerged during the day that her guest spoke with the one known as The Master. I believe Margaret's guest and his companions informed you all, how they were transported out of the theater, due to our involvement. Since we reconvened with my older sister's guest and his companions, we have since setup this building as a base of residence for ourselves. And I believe that catches us all up to where we all currently are," Theodore stated. The SEES members nodded seeing as they were now caught up with their side of the story, with them being in this world.

"We are ready to assist my older sister's guest and his companions… and my guest and his companions once more," Elizabeth stated. Minato nodded towards her, to show that he was really appreciative of this gesture. "Also… I wish to speak with you alone, my guest regarding some significant subject matters. Do you accept my request to speak with me, by yourself?"

Minato looked towards the others, and their facial expressions showed that they had no issues with this. Soon they left the room, along with Theodore, as both the blue haired teen, and the female Velvet Room attendant remained.

"It has been a very long time since we last have seen each other like this, my guest," Elizabeth stated quietly.

"Yes. Yes it has," Minato replied. "Thank you for assisting me in my previous journeys,"

"You are welcome. Speaking of journeys, I am currently embarked on one myself," Elizabeth answered back, which piqued Minato's curiosity. "My journey… is actually connected to you,"

"How so?" Minato questioned with curiosity on his face.

"After the events of your journey concluded. I found myself… venturing on my own journey. A journey to free you soul, from the seal that binds the being of Nyx from encountering Erebus," Elizabeth stated, as Minato nodded quietly as he listened. "I have since gotten involved in other events, that pertain to the power of Persona and the like, which has resulted in me, obtaining the arcana that signifies the Fool,"

"Just like myself and Yu," Minato replied back. "We're both of that arcana as well,"

"Indeed. You are also both of the Wild Card nature as well. I also wouldn't be surprised to be seeing another who will eventually follow in both your footsteps with their own journey eventually. I wonder who that person will be, if another follows such a path? Someone like you, my guest? Someone like the one who reached for the truth with my older sister's guest? Whoever it will be that gets the blessing of the Wild Card next, I'm sure that someone will be, as your culture has taught me, be stealing the show as it were," Elizabeth mused. "In any rate, I wish to discuss your current situation in greater depth,"

"Very well. What is it about my current journey you wish to ask about?" Minato asked.

"Well, one thing that brings me great concern I wish to ask. I journeyed to free your soul from the seal that prevents Nyx and Erebus from making interaction with each other. You and your companions worked so hard to prevent Nyx from delivering to what you all referred to as The Fall. You had succeeded but in the process, gave up your soul. It is… not the most joyous fate, someone who journeyed so firmly, to result in," Elizabeth explained. "I wished to somehow free you of your fate, and at the same time, make sure that Erebus would still not make contact with Nyx,"

"I see," Minato stated quietly. "But how does this relate to my current circumstances?"

"Well… the one known as The Master has taken care of that task. He has barred Erebus from ever making contact with Nyx and has revived your soul," Elizabeth said with a bit of both… curiosity and emotion. Minato could see where this was going. "For doing this, he requests that you be a participant in his fighting competition,"

Silence passed, as Elizabeth paused herself from speaking, as she was debating what would be the best choice of words to say next, to convey the question she had in mind. However Minato decided to say, what he felt, she was probably thinking about.

"You're wondering why… I'm refusing to join this fighting competition, that The Master created," Minato said. Elizabeth nodded towards him.

"To answer that frankly… yes. He has made sure that Erebus and Nyx cannot reach each other. He has freed your soul, and has returned it to your physical body. I was curious… as to what made you refuse his offer?" Elizabeth asked quietly.

"I understand," Minato said back. "It's something I'm sure a lot of people would be curious about. Whether they know now or later."

Elizabeth nodded. She was about to ask, about why he had chosen the actions and decisions he made so far, but then stilled her tongue. She wanted to make sure of one thing before asking this question, so she prepared another one instead.

"Inform me of this, my guest. Do you know what will become of you… if you achieve your victory against The Master, and choose not to become a participant in his fighting tournament?" Elizabeth inquired. Minato thought carefully as he took time to answer this question. He then prepared his words.

"To be perfectly and fully honest… no. If I defeat The Master… and I choose not to join his fighting tournament… I only assume that things will return as it will before The Master… revived me and did everything he did," Minato replied. Elizabeth nodded, as she acknowledged his words. Silence filled the room, as Elizabeth pondered what to say. She eventually did found the appropriate words to say.

"My guest… may I ask you perform a request for me?" Elizabeth asked. Minato nodded back, showing no reason to disagree. "I want you to inquire from those who would have such knowledge, what will be your ultimate fate if you defeat The Master and decline his offer. Do you accept this request?"

Minato could see why Elizabeth would ask this. He had shown the Velvet Room attendant the world he was from, and they have become close companions. Elizabeth requested her desire to see more of the world that he was from, and the two had become close friends. Elizabeth was concerned about him.

"I accept your request," Minato answered. "Do I have a time limit? I remember some of your previous requests had a time limit sometimes,"

"Thank you for accepting my request. As for whether a time limit will be part of this request, indeed it shall have one." Elizabeth replied "Your time limit is before you confront The Master in your showdown. Any time prior to the date of December 30th of this year. Of course, it would be preferable to learn of this knowledge and to share it with myself, as soon as possible,"

"I'll see what I can do." Minato said back. "I understand Elizabeth. Your journey… and my current journey. Our goals may conflict. You want to be sure of what the results will be, if I achieve victory over The Master,"

Elizabeth simply had small laughter emerge from her face, as a small smile formed on her face. However it wasn't one of just joy, but it was also one of concern, and emotion.

"Once you report this information to me… we can take this discussion towards a new direction. I want to be sure of the outcomes that await you, my guest," Elizabeth said back. Minato nodded. He had a feeling that depending on the information he found out, the topic of this new direction could vary. They both had an uneasy feeling growing within them, as they both had a feeling that the answer was going to be what Minato theorized earlier. If that ended up being the case… Elizabeth had a strong feeling she be questioning her guest strongly possibly, for choosing the decisions he has made so far.

* * *

Outside we see the other SEES members conversing with the Investigation Team members in the hallways as they waited for both Minato and Elizabeth to finish their conversation. They were now having a discussion regarding the Investigation Team getting weapons for themselves.

"Well now that we can summon our Personas, I guess we need to find weapons for all of us," Yukiko suggested.

"Yep. Some of us need to arm ourselves with weapons now," Rise added.

"Yeah. Too bad I don't think anyone is going to sell me kunai," Yosuke whined. "Yu, Teddie, and Naoto are going to have the same problems with their weapons,"

"Unfortunately, I don't think we'll run into anyone like Daidara around," Kanji whined, as he referred to a blacksmith back in Inaba, that made and sold them weapons, as he somehow had no problem doing that for teens from high school.

"I wish we knew someone like Kurosawa in this world," Akihiko himself whined, as he referred to a police officer, that sold weapons to the members of SEES, to help them on their cause.

"Well The Master and his eight chairmen provided us with our weapons as well, besides our Evokers," Mitsuru pointed out

"Too bad I don't think they'll give us weapons for the Investigation Team. We got lucky with getting them Evokers, but we can't be that lucky," Yukari stated.

"What about you Theodore? Didn't you make weapons for us during the labyrinths incident?" Teddie suggested. Theodore went into a thinking position. That was a rather decent point. But he then recalled something.

"While I would not mind supporting you all through such ways, I don't have the necessary material to make such things," Theodore stated. "Recall that all the weapons, armors, and items I managed to craft and create, required materials from the Shadows that you all have encountered and defeated in those labyrinths,"

"Well it shouldn't be too big an issue. Most of us can get stuff for ourselves already." Chie replied back. "It's only four of us who have some issues as Yosuke said,"

"Actually Naoto-san was suggested to use different weapons in this world earlier," Aigis stated. "Due to her weapon being handguns primarily. If she were to have a handgun and were to accidentally mix them up with the Evoker she now also wields…"

"That sounds… really bad," Shinjiro said with a cringed expression as he can see why Naoto would have that issue.

"Well if Naoto-san can use a different weapon, I'm sure the same could apply to Yu, Yosuke, and Teddie," Ken suggested. They all nodded in agreement, as that sounded like a good idea.

"Did you three use any other kinds of weapons, besides the main ones you used?" Fuuka asked. Yu, Yosuke, and Teddie went into a thinking pose. Both Yu and Yosuke were the first to nod back in response and with a reply.

"Actually… when I started fighting against the Shadows, the main weapon I used was a golf club. I wouldn't mind using one to fight and defend myself with again," Yu said.

"Now that it's been mentioned… I started off using monkey wrenches to fight Shadows with, before using kunai. Sure why not? It's still going to get hurt a lot, to be hit by one," Yosuke also said.

"I still need to think of a suitable replacement for myself. Teddie as well needs something as a suitable replacement," Naoto stated.

"Hey! I just thought of something for Teddie!" Junpei exclaimed as the attention shifted. "I remember playing some zombie video game where you can make a weapon that were basically spiked gloves. The main character basically used duct tape to combine boxing gloves and bowie knifes to make knife gloves!"

Everyone stared at Junpei, with either a look of surprise, disbelief, or wondering. It felt awkward for a few moments before Teddie cleared his throat, and then shrugged as he decided to say the following.

"Well… it probably be easier to do what Junpei says, then to have someone make me actual claws. I guess it's better than nothing. Now only Naoto-chan needs a weapon replacement." Teddie answered. "I still want Kanji to make me a bear suit!"

"Working on it Ted!" Kanji shouted annoyed. "It takes a while with all that yarn and wool I need to knit. But anyway... Naoto still needs a weapon that isn't a handgun,"

"Hmmm… a projectile based weapon that I can't mix up with my Evoker," Naoto pondered out loud. "Thinking on what Yu-sempai and Yosuke-sempai have just stated, perhaps I have come up with something. My initial weapon was a rubber band gun that fired clothespins and rubber bands, when I initially fought against the Shadows. I suppose… that if I were to mix them up, at least I wouldn't severely damage myself. Also I can take care to heavily distinguish such a weapon and my Evoker, to make sure that wouldn't be a problem,"

"Great idea Naoto! I think that solves our weapons issue," Rise cheered out.

"Man it's amazing what the Shadows can be damaged by. As long as we're Persona users, it shouldn't be an issue really. I mean I bet if a Persona user used a slingshot, it damage a Shadow still," Junpei boasted.

"But is it because they're Shadows and we're Persona users that they get damaged by our weapons like that, or is it just because we're Persona users? Their is a difference technically," Yukari stated in response to that.

"Not only that, but would we even deal with Shadows in this world? I haven't detected any Shadow activity whatsoever, since we've been here," Rise stated. "What about you Fuuka-chan? Have you detected any Shadow activity in this world at all?"

"Not really. Since all of us SEES members have been here, I have yet to detect any," Fuuka stated, though she knew that herself and Minato had just met her own personal Shadow a while back. "So thankfully they're not a problem in this world."

"While that's good, we should still get some weapons for ourselves just in case. Guys like Bowser and other troublemakers like him can get hostile possibly. We have to arm ourselves for whatever situation necessary, " Yu stated. They all agreed to that.

"I wonder what that big bully turtle we saw last night, is up to now?" Chie stated with a pondering expression. "Also that nice angel friend of you guys as well,"

"Bowser and Pit? Who knows? I'm sure they're fine." Akihiko stated.

* * *

We now switch scenes back to the room that Bowser and Pit were in. The two were currently taking a lunch break as they ordered room service and were waiting for the food they ordered to arrive. Pit had also called Dark Pit earlier to bring some blankets and pillows for him to rest with, as he was still feeling sore. Bowser did the same, as he called his son Junior to do the same for him. Pit was seen with a white blanket over his self, while resting his head on a white pillow, while Bowser had received a black and red blanket along with a black and red pillow, as they both sat on opposite ends of the large couch.

"What a bunch of weirdos." Bowser grumbled, as he and Pit had seen a wide range of requested newcomers that were different to say the least. "Seriously… a knight who fights with a shovel?"

"The guy called Shovel Knight?" Pit said back. "Well… Mr. Game &amp; Watch fights with a lot of weird stuff and he's two dimensional,"

"Well he's a weirdo too. I should know. I've dealt with him since the Melee Tournament. Anyway, back to Shovels." Bowser remarked as he already came up with a nickname for the potential newcomer. "Regardless, Shovels is still weird. You think a knight fight with a sword or something. Not a shovel. As for fighting with it, I just grab his shovel, and jam it on his helmet's horns and call it a day," Bowser answered back.

"I be cool with him though, But who else did people want? Some people asked for that Shantae girl we learned about," Pit said.

"Oh. The purple haired half genie chick. Nah. She seems lame," Bowser answered back. Pit looked annoyed.

"What makes her lame?" Pit questioned.

"She fights mainly by whipping her hair apparently. Really? All I need to do is just grab her, and have a pair of scissors on me, make her go bald, and she's pretty much a goner without it," Bowser joked. Pit just rolled his eyes

"Oh come on. She doesn't just fight with her hair. From what I looked up, she uses magical dances to transform into stuff and used pirate equipment," Pit whined. Bowser just shrugged, as he didn't particularly care for the new details he heard.

"Eh. I don't care for the half genie chick to join for us regardless of what you just said. I think one choice that some people wanted that really made me roll my eyes was that little guy that hand out with my buddy Dedede," Bowser replied back. Pit blinked his eyes in curiosity from hearing that.

"Little guy that hangs out with Dedede?" Pit asked. "Who are you talking about exactly?"

"I'm talking about the Waddle Dee that wears the blue bandana," Bowser replied back. "Seriously? It be like having a Goomba from my armies fighting in a tournament,"

"Hey! Bandana Waddle Dee is cool and cute! He can fight with a spear!" Pit shouted out. Bowser put himself on a thinking pose, and looked at Pit with skeptical eyes while doing this. "I'm just saying. He's not a normal Waddle Dee either. I heard that he helped Kirby, Meta Knight, and Dedede in some adventure they had in their world. He's also helped out Kirby and Dedede in general when he can,"

"I guess. I mean, someone who fights with a spear be different," Bowser grumbled back. "I bet he be an easy pipsqueak to knock out as well,"

"And you were ragging on Shovel Knight for fighting with a shovel earlier," Pit said. Bowser grimaced in annoyance as he had to admit, Pit got him there.

"Well who fights with a shovel normally? A spear, sure, but a shovel?" Bowser answered back. Suddenly the two heard a knock on the door, that led into the room they were both in. "Ah. That must be the food from room service. You open it Chicken Wings. I'm feeling lazy,"

"Fine. But only cause you asked," Pit replied back, in a slightly whiney tone. He got up and slowly walked to the door. Expecting to see one of the workers from Smash Tower, he took out a white wallet as he wanted to pay for the food. However when he opened the door, came someone he had never seen before, yet had a feeling he heard about. "Are you… Ryu?"

"Yeah. I am," Ryu replied calmly, as the martial artist was first encountering the angel and the Koopa King. "I wanted to meet all the fighters in this competition. I have met everyone else last night, but have yet to meet with you two,"

"Good. Hi karate boy. I'm Bowser, the Koopa King. Now scram," Bowser whined as he laid on the couch with his blanket and rested his head on his pillow. Pit just simply sighed from what he just heard.

"Ignore him. He's not exactly one of the nicer fighters in this competition," Pit said with a sheepish grin.

"Well good thing I'm used to hostile fighters. Anyway, I wanted to meet you both. I look forward to our future battles. I'll leave you two to your work, as the three guards outside told me, you two were busy working on something. See you two later," Ryu stated. He then closed the door as both Pit and Bowser were back to being the only ones in the room.

"Why you got to be such a jerk?" Pit whined, while Bowser grinned maliciously, as his sharp teeth had a bright white smile and shine to them.

"Cause I am a jerk, and proud of it. You should be more like your evil twin. He's not afraid to be mean, unlike you," Bowser taunted.

"Pittoo maybe more hostile compared to me, but he's not an outright jerk like you can be Bowser!" Pit whined. "Man I really hope you lose the bet. I know he can get with Lucina,"

"Whatever you say Chicken Wings. We'll see about that," Bowser mumbled as he then started to come up with some mischievous ideas in his head, just to make sure that wouldn't happen. He never dressed up in a tutu, and he didn't plan on starting for the end of the year. "Darn. Where's our food? I'm hungry. Now I know how Dedede feels when he gets cranky about having no food in him. I refuse to continue working till it shows up,"

"I guess the chefs in the kitchen still need time to make it. We did order a lot for ourseles. We should pass the time doing something," Pit suggested as he wished the room had some games to play or books to read.

"Pass the time doing what? Twiddling our thumbs?" Bowser replied annoyed. He then suddenly realized he still had some questions regarding that blue haired teen he saw the previous day. "Hey Chicken Wings. What's the deal with Blue Mint anyway?"

Pit flinched as Bowser brought up Minato. He still had his own questions he wanted to talk with Minato about.

"What about Minato?" Pit answered back uneasily.

"Well for starters, how did you even meet Blue Mint anyway? I never seen him around before till yesterday. I'm tempted to say he's from the universe that blue hair pretty boy swordsman, blue hair musclebound mercenary, blue hair pretty girl swords-woman, white hair pretty boy tactician, and where red head pretty boy are from but I get the feeling that's not the case." Bowser mused before he continued speaking. "He dresses up way too modern. Anyway answer my question,"

"Well… you see… I don't know about that," Pit said out loud uneasily. Bowser stared blankly at Pit with blinking eyes, and then he began to laugh wildly.

"**BWAHAHAHA!** Yeah right. Don't play dumb… err dumber than usual I should say," Bowser taunted, as Pit looked annoyed from hearing that. "I remember last night. You two seemed pretty darn chummy to me. Spill the beans. I heard about him beforehand anyway… sort of,"

"Huh? Can you explain that last part again?" Pit said curiously, from what he just heard. "You heard about him beforehand?"

"Well Dedede was talking about some rumored newcomer. Said rumored newcomer being a blue haired teenager who likes to play pretend suicide." Bowser answered. "At first I thought he was joking, but when I saw Blue Mint last night, he seemed suspicious. What do you know, I see that rumored punk last night. Just to be sure, I asked him to try something with that umm… umm…what did you call it… Evoker? That Evoker out for himself,"

"That makes sense. Dedede faced off against Minato earlier this month." Pit said out loud. Bowser however suddenly got really curious from what he heard, as his own eyes widened.

"He already faced off against Dedede? Interesting information. Now I'm really curious," Bowser said with a grin. "Though I don't get it. If he's already fought someone, why isn't he an official fighter joining already?"

"That's… not for me to say. I think that's something The Master would know," Pit answered back unsure, if he should speak of the subject more.

"Fine. I got enough info for now I guess. If I encounter Blue Mint again, I'll grill him for answers myself!" Bowser answered back with a big sharp toothy grin. Pit's eyes opened up in panic, as a mental image of Minato being set on fire by Bowser's Flame Breath, caused him to chatter his teeth and freak out for a bit. Bowser rolled his own eyes as he saw the reaction Pit has just done. "No you moronic chicken! I mean… like to interrogate someone for answers Chicken Wings. Not turn him into fried chicken. Man you are so naive,"

"Well I am young… by angel standards at least. Well to be fair, you aren't afraid to burn things. I had a right to freak out," Pit protested. Bowser just evilly chuckled in response, as he had to agree with what he just heard. "Minato… I really need to speak to him when I get the chance about some things,"

"Well that won't be happening till we're done with this stuff so don't bother thinking about it Chicken Wings," Bowser whined as his stomach grumbled. Just then, the door to their room entered, and entered employees who pushed carts that held trays of food. "Speaking of that… thank you chumps for delivering it finally!"

Pit paid and tipped the workers, as both himself and Bowser decided to take a lunch break. Pit ordered a lobster roll that was doused lightly in hot butter, and had a side order of mashed potatoes with gravy, chicken noodle soup, and a vanilla milkshake with whip cream and cherry on top. Bowser had a bigger meal as he ordered a full on meal with fish and chips, that were fried to perfection, a lobster bisque soup, huge fried potatoes wedges, and an ice cream float. As they ate, they conversed more about the potential newcomers people wanted.

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

**So that's the end of the chapter. Notes as always.**

**1\. I made some references to Persona 5 in this chapter, you may have noticed. When Elizabeth talks about Minato and Yu's successor, and how he would steal the show. The Phantom (I'm tentatively calling the main character of Persona 5 that, as that's his official title currently) has been shown in the latest trailer at the time of this writing, to be able to obtain other Personas, which the Wild Card can do. Appropriate considering how he and his companions are going to be burglars and all. Another reference was with the slingshot, as one of the main characters in Persona 5 (Morgana) fights with one, as one of his weapons. **

**2\. The Smash Bros Ballot has officially closed worldwide at the time of the writing and has ended. However the results for it, have yet to be spoken about from Nintendo. Whoever ends up on the roster due to it, is still unknown (who will it be, the amount of total winners, when they will be announced, etc). Just to restate, I may or may not incorporate these additional DLC characters into the story (significantly at least) or not depending on all the circumstances. We'll just have to wait and see.**

**3\. Yu and Yosuke did start off weapons that weren't their swords and kunai respectively. They can still fight and use those without as much issues. Well obtaining said weapons shouldn't be as much of an issue. Same for Naoto as her starting weapon is indeed a rubber band gun, which in real life, do fire stuff like rubber bands or clothespins. Junpei's idea for getting Teddie claws, references Dead Rising 2, which is a video game involving escaping and surviving a zombie outbreak. In that game, certain items can be combined, and the combination that Junpei described was one of them. **

**That's it for notes for now. Thank you all so much for reading so far, and for your patience. I hope you are all enjoying the story so far. Till next chapter!**


	35. A Cantankerous Meeting Between Three

**Hey everyone. The next chapter is finally here again. Still busy as ever, but glad this chapter is done. As usual I'll address the reviews from the previous chapter before moving forward.**

**So the first order match was on your birthday cgstrykerz? Happy Belated Birthday. Also, will any Smash characters get to have a Shadow self? Also regarding your suggestion to have a Shadow version of significant Smash characters, I don't see it happening as of right now. Most likely not. Though if you want to be technical, Dark Pit can be seen as that technically, but at the same time, not really. **

**So this chapter I'll say, it's to help get the Investigation Team more involved for the future. Maybe not directly to the main story, but to help them get involved nonetheless. Also I want to note that I have seen the most recent Nintendo Direct as of late (November 2015) and am aware of the new Smash related announcements that was announced. There will be notes, where I will address this, after the chapter is over at the end.**

**So with that said, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and the story so far in general. Like always, if you have anything you want to say, speak up, are concerned about, etc, do not be afraid to do so. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I thank you all for your patience. Enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

While all this was going on, we switch scenes to a different location once more. A location we haven't seen in a while, as it was that arena that we now know goes by the name of Final Destination. Once again, half of it stilled shined with a magnificent radiance with blue crystal, while the other half burned brightly with the volcanic rock that made it up. Once again, two entities who could not be seen were heard discussing a topic.

"So brother. I grow bored and weary waiting for our confrontation with your potential newcomer. I crave chaos and disorder at the moment," said a crazed voice.

"Patience. I understand your urge, but the time shall come where we will either face off against our potential newcomer or have him join us," spoke The Master. The other entity remained silent for a moment as he debated what to say in response to something. He then came up with a proposal.

"I wish to make things more interesting," spoke the unhinged voice.

"Is that so?" questioned The Master as he was curious as to what his sibling had in mind. "How do you wish to make things more interesting brother?"

The two talked to each other but we weren't privy to their words this time at the moment, as the more maniacal one told his brother, the details of this proposal. After the crazed one finished speaking, The Master chuckled softly in response.

"I see. In that case, I grant you permission to perform the suggestion you told me. Perhaps things may prove more entertaining for our potential newcomer, his comrades, and the other comrades who have since ventured from their world. Most importantly… for ourselves," The Master responded.

"Well regardless if this results in anything significant or not, I figure I want to try to spice things up," the crazed voice.

"Well I appreciate that you asked me, just in case this did interfere with what I currently have planned," The Master replied back.

"Thank you brother. I figure I ask, since I know you're always one for order while I value chaos," the insane sounding voice, responded back. Both voices cackled with laughter as their voices soon both faded away from the area.

The hallway outside the makeshift Velvet Room that Minato and Elizabeth was still filled with noise as both the Investigation Team and the members of SEES still talked among each other, with Theodore occasionally saying something when the door to it slowly began to open. Minato and Elizabeth stepped into the hallway, and Minato then informed the other SEES members and the Investigation Team of the request had chosen to take.

"That would be smart. Finding out the exact outcome if you do defeat The Master," Akihiko stated.

"We never did get official confirmation what would happen, besides Arisato being able to not be forced into this competition and being able to choose to join or not," Mitsuru said to add onto what Akihiko said.

"But will those chairmen jerks or The Master really tell Minato that kind of information?" Yukari said skeptically.

"Yeah. Those chairmen guys are pretty fickle, all things considering," Junpei said with a sigh. "And The Master… well it's not like we can schedule an appointment with him normally I think. Plus I don't think he just straight up tell Minato possibly,"

"This might be harder then it seems," Aigis stated. "Just as Junpei-san has said, the chairmen indeed have proven quite volatile in multiple respects. The Master has also proven to still quite be a mystery,"

"It's probably not going to be easy," Ken said with a sigh.

"Come on. Let's not get mopey," Shinjiro said. "I know we're all wondering about stuff still, and hell, our current situation in general, but let's try to stay focused."

"Shinjiro sempai is right. We just have to try," Fuuka said quietly. Koromaru barked happily to agree with what she said as the rest of SEES nodded.

"We'll leave you guys to what you need to do. Good luck," Yu said. The SEES members nodded towards the Investigation Team's leader. The SEES members decided to bid farewell to the Investigation Team as they parted ways and bid farewell, as they headed back to Smash Tower by taking a bus. They eventually arrived back, as they got off the bus and saw a familiar individual that looked pretty peeved with crossed arms as he was seen pacing around in deep thought, as they looked forward, as he stood outside the entrance to Smash Tower's many glass doors.

"It's Dark Pit," Yukari said with curiosity, as she and the others wondered why he was there. Dark Pit had bags under his eyes as if, he didn't get enough sleep and looked like he was not in a good mood. He noticed the members of SEES and had a sigh of relief upon seeing them.

"He appears to be both in a state of… frustration and exhaustion as his facial expressions indicate currently," Aigis said curiously. The SEES members walked up to the dark angel.

"Are you alright?" Junpei asked. However he was going to regret asking that as Dark Pit yelled at him the following.

"**DO I LOOK ALRIGHT!?**" Dark Pit yelled annoyed. Junpei just cringed in response, as he just ended up sighing, and wondered why he even bothered to ask.

"What's wrong?" Minato asked, curious of his situation. Dark Pit simply sighed and decided to speak what had happened to him earlier.

"Well… while you guys were gone this morning…"

* * *

We now see Dark Pit and Bowser Jr. were both sitting at a bench at the indoor park in Smash Tower. They had just earlier dropped off blankets and pillows for Pit and Bowser, and were now chilling at the indoor park. Bowser Jr. held what appeared to be a portable cooler. He opened it up, and inside the cooler, were two small white ceramic bowls with metal spoons chilling on top of them, along with what appeared to be an ice cream bucket, buried into tons of ice cubes. The ice cream bucket has chocolate ice cream that was chilled to sweet creamy perfection.

"Oh boy! I can't wait to dig in for some ice cream!" Bowser Jr. exclaimed happily. Dark Pit smirked as he agreed with his friend.

"Yeah. Too bad for pit hole that he's busy at the moment. All for us," Dark Pit chuckled. However Dark Pit just saw Bowser Jr. looked sad from hearing that. Dark Pit then recalled that Junior's dad was also busy. "Don't worry Junior. We'll save some for your dad,"

"Thanks! Now let's get digging in!" Bowser Jr. said, in high spirits again. Both nodded to each other with a smile. They both took a small ceramic bowls and metal spoon, opened up the ice cream bucket filled with chocolate ice cream and put a couple of scoops, into their plastic cups. They closed the ice cream bucket, and the cooler, and both were about to taste their ice cream, till they both heard a familiar voice.

"Hey Junior! Hey Dark Pit!" shouted Lucina as she was walking nearby and by herself. Dark Pit immediately blushed and tried to look away, while Bowser Jr. waved to the blue haired girl. "What are you two doing here?"

"We're about to enjoy some chocolate ice cream!" Bowser Jr. said excitedly, as he sniffed the rich scent of frozen chocolate that came from his sugary meal and his black beady eyes sparkled with excitement. Lucina smiled at the prospect for her two fellow fighters.

"Cool. Can I have some?" Lucina asked. Before Bowser Jr. could say anything in response, Dark Pit immediately took a spoonful of ice cream and offered his metal spoon to Lucina. "Thanks Dark Pit. I appreciate it,"

Lucina took the metal spoon from the dark angel's hands, and placed it in her mouth, enjoying the burst of frozen sweetness her taste buds enjoyed. She then handed it back to Dark Pit, and bid farewell to the two, as she was currently taking a walk to get some peace and quiet in her mind. As soon as she was away enough, Bowser Jr. began to laugh quietly, while Dark Pit had a new blush in his face.

"Dark Pit and Lucina, kissing in the tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes marriage, and then comes the baby, in the baby carriage!" Bowser Jr. teased as he snickered, while Dark Pit's face went really red.

"Oh knock it off Junior." Dark Pit said back bashfully. Bowser Jr. continued to giggle, before the young prince calmed down.

"Alright Dark Pit. We should eat these before they melt," Bowser Jr. said. Dark Pit nodded as they were both about to start eating again. However both were interrupted yet again, as they both heard yet another familiar voice.

"Young master Junior! There you are!" said a familiar voice belonging to a certain Magikoopa. Both Bowser Jr. and Dark Pit turned their heads to see a familiar wizard that carried a golden scepter with a red gem on top of it. For Dark Pit, he had seen this wizard mess with an arena known as Mushroom Kingdom U, during his time here, and Junior had known the wizard since growing up.

"Kamek? What brings you here?" The young prince asked confused. The wizard walked towards the two, as he now stood in front of the two.

"Have you seen your father, young master Junior?" Kamek asked. "Or what about you, dark angel?"

"Papa is busy doing work. He won't be free till midnight tonight," Bowser Jr. answered back. Dark Pit nodded to reaffirm what Junior said.

"I see. Very well. Thank you two for your responses. I was looking for your father earlier young master Junior, at the room he stayed at in this tower, but I didn't see him. I then went to visit your room but didn't find you," Kamek explained.

"Why do you want to see Bowser anyway?" Dark Pit asked curiously.

"Yeah Kamek! Why do you want to see papa anyway?" Bowser Jr. questioned. The old Magikoopa smirked as his eyeglasses shined from polish.

"Sorry to you two. I can't say. I'm sure master Bowser, being the type of person he is, will let you two know of what I plan to inform him off. Well I must be off… well actually…before I go, I see you are consuming a large amount of sweets before proper meal time," Kamek stated. Bowser Jr. just whined in response.

"Awww come on Kamek. I just want to eat some chocolate ice cream. I won't go nuts about it. I'm not Morton!" Bowser Jr. whined.

"Don't worry. We don't plan on eating all of it. We plan to save some for his dad as well," Dark Pit said, to reassure the Magikoopa. Kamek looked at the two skeptically, then reluctantly sighed.

"Very well. I'll leave you two be. I have to get going as a match at the Mushroom Kingdom U arena is happening soon, and my assistance is required. Farewell dark angel, and I'll see your father later, young master Junior," Kamek answered as the Magikoopa began to walk away from them. Finally the two were alone again. Junior sighed loudly, as he really now wanted to eat some chocolate ice cream.

"Alright. Before anyone interrupts us, let's take a bite of chocolate ice cream already!" Bowser Jr. whined as Dark Pit nodded in agreement. Both picked up their spoons and both were about to scoop up some ice cream, till they both saw something that made both of them, raise their eyebrows. They placed their spoons back into their bowls, as fog began to settle into the room. They both blinked their eyes rapidly from both confusion and a bit of uneasiness. Suddenly the two heard a voice they have never heard before, speak out.

"Hello? Margaret? Where the heck are you? We were all just in that small cramped limo!" whined a female voice that sounded like it belonged to a teenager girl. Both Bowser Jr. and Dark Pit turned to look at each other, confused. Suddenly they saw a silhouette emerging from the fog that definitely fit the description of a teenager girl. Suddenly the fog dissipated, as if it were a show at Las Vegas, where the smoke on stage would disappear to reveal the performers at some performances that would be had.

She wore a blue hat that that had a golden pin on it that bore the letter V, over her short length black hair. She wore a white sleeveless shirt, with a short black necktie around the white sleeveless shirt, a red checkered skirt with a black belt, and a golden belt buckle that resembled a broken heart with wings. She wore black and red protective sleeves over her arms, as well as black and white striped stockings and black boots. She also wore a red choker on her neck with a golden lock insignia on it, and carried a blue one strap bag, around her right shoulder. She had a pouty facial expression that stuck out as her green eyes was glaring in general. Her name was Marie. A girl that was more than meets the eye, and had a blunt and sarcastic personality. Needless to say, both Bowser Jr. and Dark Pit felt somewhat awkward seeing this person.

"Who the hell are you two!?" Marie shouted as she pointed a finger at the dark angel and the bratty prince. Both Bowser Jr. and Dark Pit, turned to look at each other once more, with sweat dropping from their head, unsure what to say. Dark Pit cleared his throat, as he then tried to calm her down.

"Calm down. First off, who are you and what happened to you?" Dark Pit asked both with concern and caution. Marie just gritted her teeth, while Bowser Jr. was tempted to run off, as this girl did not make him feel comfortable at all.

"I should be asking this first!? Who are you…you… emo looking goth angel punk!? Same goes for the baby turtle thing wearing the messy crayon bib!?" Marie said with both hostility and nervousness. Dark Pit gritted his own teeth in response, while Bowser Jr. upon hearing that, began to jump up and down as smoke came out of his head, as the bratty prince threw a temper tantrum in response.

"**I AM NOT A BABY! I'M IN GRADE SCHOOL! AND IT'S NOT A BIB, IT'S A BANDANA!**" Bowser Jr. yelled out as he continued to jump up and down from his temper tantrum. Dark Pit seeing Junior like this, tried to take deep breaths as he tried to calm himself down first, and then his young childish friend.

"Relax Junior. Fine we'll introduce ourselves first. I'm Dark Pit. Servant to no other but myself," Dark Pit explained. Bowser Jr. reluctantly took a couple of deep breaths, as he stopped jumping, and crossed his arms.

"I'm Bowser Jr., Prince of the Koopas," Bowser Jr. boasted. Marie looked at them both with blinking eyes, unsure what to think of the two, and wondered who or what they were exactly still, despite the information they just told her. She then decided to tell them her name.

"Alright… Dark Pit… and Bowser Junior. My name is Marie. Where are we?" Marie said to them.

"We're in Smash Tower," Dark Pit said calmly. Marie blinked curiously in response.

"Smash Tower? Never heard of that place." Marie said calmly, as she noticed that both Dark Pit and Bowser Jr. weren't being hostile to her, so she decided to be friendlier with her tone now. The sound of someone's stomach grumbling could be heard as Marie, felt hungry as her stomach growled. "Do you two have any food I can get?

Bowser Jr. cringed as he really wanted to eat his ice cream, and wanted it just for himself, Dark Pit, and his father later (and any leftovers for Pit maybe) but found himself reluctantly nodding. They opened the cooler and showed the chocolate ice cream they had. Marie thought for a moment, then said the following.

"I don't care for chocolate really. Can you guys get me a different flavor? I'm thinking… something really obscure… oh I know! Quince flavored ice cream!" Marie asked, as she brought up a very uncommon flavor of ice cream, as even she wasn't sure why she just stated it.

"What's a quince?" Bowser Jr. asked as the young child had never heard of such a thing. Dark Pit shrugged as he wasn't even sure.

"It's like… a rare kind of fruit. I mean it's possible you guys might have it right?" Marie responded. Both Dark Pit and Bowser Jr. rolled their eyes but decided to oblige the girl's request. They asked Marie to sit at the bench and watch the cooler, along with their ice cream and wait, as they would head to the cafeteria and see if they could possibly somehow find this flavor. About a half hour had passed when both finally returned, as Dark Pit held the small ice cream bucket that was filled with quince flavored ice cream.

"Hey Marie. You're very lucky the chefs in this tower have ingredients from all over. Since they had a quince and managed to make ice… what the...?" Dark Pit said, before he stopped as he saw a concerning sight. Bowser Jr. paled in particular from what he saw.

"**YOU ATE ALL THE CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM!?**" Bowser Jr. screamed with his lungs, as he had a paled expression on his face, from what he saw. Besides Marie were their ceramic bowls, now devoid of chocolate ice cream, along with the ice cream bucket. Marie… wasn't exactly your normal human being (for certain reasons) so she had no problem eating it all.

"Well the thing was… I noticed the ice cream in your bowls was starting to melt. I thought it be a waste if they turned into chocolate soup so, I figure it be alright," Marie said. "After eating them… I was still hungry… and maybe I do care for the flavor of chocolate despite what I said before, so I kept going from the bucket and… well yeah," Marie said. Dark Pit had a blank expression on his face, as he was not sure how to react whatsoever. Bowser Jr. however soon burst into tears, and fell to the floor, as he began hitting it with his hands, and flailed his legs wildly.

"**WAHHH! YOU MEANIE! WAHHH!**" Bowser Jr. cried and wailed out, as the young child was very emotionally distressed at the moment. Dark Pit cringed with a mixture of frustration and fear, as he immediately placed the ice cream bucket containing the quince flavored ice cream flavor on the floor. He wanted to help cheer up his friend, and also make sure someone like Kamek didn't come back all of a sudden to check up on them, just in case, or he be in some deep trouble with Junior's father. Marie walked in front of the child and kneeled before him as she tried to cheer him up. She began to rummage through her bag, looking for something and then found it.

"Here you go. This always makes me laugh, when I see it." Marie said as she took out what appeared to be a blue jack in a box. Bowser Jr. looked at it curiously with tears in his eyes. Then a head of an old man with a really long nose popped out, as it began to bounce up and down. "See? The nose is always good for a laugh,"

Bowser Jr. stared at the jack in the box with disbelief, unsure of how to react, then went back to crying and flailing about on the floor, while Dark Pit cringed. He decided to take matters into his own hands as he ran out, and immediately headed out of the indoor park as he had an idea in mind. Back at the cafeteria, when he and Bowser Jr. were there getting the quince ice cream, he saw another fighter that could help easily calm Bowser Jr. down, that he hoped was still there as he ran as fast as possible.

Back at the cafeteria we see a circular pink round creature that was happily napping at one of the tables. A pink round creature that wasn't Kirby, but was also a veteran fighter. It had a curled tuft of pink hair on is head, triangular ears, cyan colored eyes which were currently closed. It was a Pokemon creature that went by the name of Jigglypuff. It was known as the balloon Pokemon due to its round shape, and this particular one has been a fighter since the very first Smash Bros tournament, and for every Smash Bros Tournament right after. In a table separate but nearby, sat Lucina as she was currently having a nice chat with Roy, as she wanted to see how her ancestor and his friend got along in the Melee Tournament. She was conversing but she then noticed Dark Pit running back into the cafeteria with frantic eyes. She and Roy stopped, as they saw Dark Pit grab the sleeping Jigglypuff over his head. They along with anyone else in the cafeteria stared blankly at the sight, wondering why Dark Pit did that.

As Dark Pit was running back to the indoor park, the sleeping Jigglypuff soon woke up due to the Pokemon being picked up earlier, and noticed that it was being carried by Dark Pit. It then had an angry expression, at being carried away from the cafeteria and being awakened, as it began to hit Dark Pit upon his head, with its hand like stubble appendages, all while Dark Pit cringed in annoyance and pain. He soon arrived back at the indoor park and got to the part of it where he was before, as he saw that Bowser Jr. was still crying, and Marie was still trying her best to calm the child down.

"Please put Junior to sleep Jigglypuff!" Dark Pit begged with a headache, as he placed the Pokemon down on the ground. Jigglypuff now saw why Dark Pit did what he did, though the creature wondered who the girl beside Bowser Jr. was. Jigglypuff nodded towards Dark Pit, and then walked towards the two. Dark Pit immediately backed away a bit, and covered his ears, as the Pokemon did one of its famous attacks. It soon began to sing a soothing melody that made Junior slowly but surely go fast asleep. Soon the bratty prince was now sleeping and calm, as opposed to crying, as Jigglypuff soon finished singing its soothing lullaby.

"Yes! Thanks Jigglypuff! I owe you one!" Dark Pit stated, as the Pokemon nodded toward the dark angel. The creature began to walk away from the scene. Soon Dark Pit went back to focusing on Bowser Jr. and also noticed one more sleeping individual.

"Oh crud. I forgot to tell her to back away and cover her ears," Dark Pit said, feeling embarrassed. "That was such a pit stain move. Ugh. Well… at least she's still breathing,"

Dark Pit walked to the two and carried both over his shoulders. He decided to head back to his room, and drop off Junior there, to let him rest on either the couch or bed in his room. As for this girl Marie he had just met, he decided he would drop her off at the hospital in Smash Tower, and let her rest there. He would have to explain the situation to the staff working there as well about her. After all this, he was going to get some actual fresh air, outside Smash Tower, to clear his mind of what just happened.

"And that's that," Dark Pit said tiredly out of breath. All the SEES members stared blankly at what they just heard from Dark Pit. They were all rather taken aback, as this was something they were not expecting at all and remained silent, unsure themselves how to respond. Dark Pit was kind of concerned about the silence he was hearing. "Is… something wrong?"

"We know about Marie," Minato said bluntly, plain and simple, as they recalled meeting the girl during the labyrinths incident. Dark Pit looked confused, and wanted to talk about it more, but realized he was too tired to talk about it. He just nodded and then sat down on the ground, tired from it all, physically and mentally. They wished him well as they went past him, and headed straight to the hospital floor.

* * *

We see Marie, sitting in a bed as nearby her, Isabelle was trying to calm her down, as now Marie was confused to why she was in a different location. Isabelle was at the hospital floor to check up on her mayor, who was getting some bandages but happened to hear the commotions of the girl, as Mario was trying to calm her down earlier, but left after being smacked in the head by the bag she carried, making the volunteer doctor have to go grab an ice pack for himself, making him leave her room temporarily. Isabelle came in and was now trying to calm her down.

"Please calm down miss. We're all just trying to help you," Isabelle said very concerned. Marie just looked frustrated in general and was about to yell in frustration, but suddenly the SEES members showed up. They all stayed silent as they looked at each other.

"Huh. You guys… all look familiar somehow?" Marie said quietly as she looked at them. The SEES members from hearing that, guess that she didn't fully remember them for whatever reason. They were also wondering why Marie was even here in the first place.

"Are you okay, Marie-chan?" Fuuka asked quietly. Marie nodded, but suddenly realized, that these people that she thought were familiar knew of her.

"How do you know about me?" Marie asked quietly.

"It's a long story, but to keep it short, we all met you in the past, and we're friends with the Investigation Team," Minato replied. Marie upon hearing that slowly nodded. Then she had another question.

"Are the Investigation Team here in… wherever we are?" Marie asked curiously.

"Not in this tower specifically, but they are in this world," Minato replied to answer her question.

"I see. Well if that's the case… could you guys take me to see them?" Marie asked. The SEES members looked at each other and nodded, then towards her and nodded to answer her question. It was probably better if Marie stayed with the Persona users she was more familiar with, plus not to mention, Elizabeth and Theodore were also there to help her out.

We now see the male Investigation Team members at the room they were staying at. Yosuke, Teddie, and Kanji were all laying on their own beds, staring at their newly acquired Evokers they now had, so they could now summon their Personas. Yu was using a laptop on his bed, as he was currently looking for places where they could each get themselves a respective weapon, till he heard his cellphone ring, and noticed that the caller ID, belonged to Minato. He picked it up and answered it.

"Hey Minato. What's up?" Yu answered with curiosity.

"We're returning to see you guys later today. Is that alright?" Minato said to Yu.

"No problem but for what occasion?" Yu asked, curious to see why the SEES members were coming back so soon.

"Well I don't know how to explain it, but for some reason, another person from our world showed up at Smash Tower. Someone you and your team would be more familiar with, and should take care of," Minato answered back. Yu raised his eyebrows, as that was something he himself wasn't even expecting.

"Who is it?" Yu asked, curious to see who this person was.

"You and your team know someone named Marie right?" Minato asked.

"Yes we do. I guess… she's the person that somehow showed up?" Yu said a bit surprised.

"Yeah. We're heading over to where you guys are soon, to drop her off. She's calm for now, but I heard she got into some trouble earlier here. I think she'll be calmer and safer with you guys anyway," Minato said.

"Alright. I'll let everyone else on the Investigation Team know, as well as Elizabeth and Theodore. Thanks for the heads up Minato," Yu said, and with that both leaders, closed their cellphones. Yosuke, Teddie, and Kanji who were listening in on the conversation from Yu's side at least looked curiously at their leader.

"Who's coming over?" Yosuke asked curiously.

"And it's a girl we know?" Kanji asked also curious.

"Marie is coming over," Yu stated with calmness. The others blinked their eyes upon hearing that.

"Marie-chan is coming over? What?" Teddie said confused. Yu could only nod, while the other three boys in the room looked confused.

* * *

It was now nearly midnight. Pit and Bowser were now back to work after their lunch break as they were still overlooking other suggestions. Bowser couldn't help but constantly raise his eyebrows as he learned more and more of the newly requested newcomers (or returning fighters). It made him roll his eyes to see that some people were requesting for a yellow rodent that would damage itself with its own attacks. A boy who wore big yellow shoes, had a peculiar sense of fashion in general with zippered clothing, and wielded a large key shaped bladed weapon, an archaeology professor who wore a very tall hat and had a love for solving puzzles, and a famous lawyer who had a renown title of "Ace Attorney,"who wore a blue suit, and liked to shout the word "Objection!" apparently. Needless to say the requests never stopped being interesting and different as Bowser and Pit did their work.

"Well I'm glad this day is almost over," Bowser said with a yawn. "I'm tired of doing this,"

"I know. I can say the same," Pit replied back with his own yawn. "But at least we got to learn about a lot of new potential newcomers that people want in,"

"Which was my idea to do, by the way, Chicken Wings," Bowser taunted. Pit sheepishly smiled and shrugged, as the angel rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'll give you that Bowser. It was better to do this, then deal with any cruel fighting teams. But we're still not off the clock," Pit said. Bowser turned to see a clock in the room and noticed that they had three minutes left before midnight.

"Alright. We have time to overlook one more suggestion. I'll do it," Bowser said, as he used the mouse on the table to look over another suggestion on the computer in the room. "This person wants… someone named Cloud Strife?"

"That's another new one. Nobody suggested that person yet," Pit said, as was once again unfamiliar with this newcomer. "Well make a folder with that potential newcomer's name and put the suggestion in,"

"I know." Bowser said back, as he did as Pit told. Soon midnight hit, and the three elite Mii Fighters from outside entered the room. They signaled to the three, that they were relieved of their current punishment, and both Bowser and Pit sighed with relief. Soon the three elite Mii Fighters left, while Bowser got up and grabbed the pillow and blanket he had to leave the room. Pit however said something.

"Hey wait Bowser! Don't you want to at least see, what this Cloud Strife guy looks like?" Pit asked.

"Nope. We're done with this. Don't care. Later Chicken Wings. Have a good night," Bowser whined as he left the room and headed back to his own personal room, as Pit could only shrug and sigh. He himself felt tired as well, as he decided to grab the blanket and pillow that Dark Pit brought to him earlier and headed back to his own room as well.

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

**So how was it? Notes as always.**

**1\. Marie is a character that made her debut in the "Golden," version of Persona 4, which is so far as of right now, only for the Playstation Vita. She has also appeared in other games in the series, such as Ultimax, Persona Q, and most recently, Dancing All Night. As a character, I'm personally whatever with her. I don't care for her, nor hate her. Her role in the new game of Golden, is to add more onto the plot, in some ways I won't go into detail for. **

**2\. Marie taking out the jack in the box from the blue bag she usually carries, of the old man with the really long pointy nose (that being Igor), references one of her attacks from Ultimax. Some of her attacks in general involve taking out things from her blue bag.**

**3\. So it isn't just Master Hand/The Master who can make stuff happen. Crazy Hand is still his own entity, and if he wants too, can choose to get involved as well, if this chapter has shown.**

**4\. So yes. I am fully aware that Cloud from Final Fantasy 7, as well as a stage based on an area from that game (Midgar) has been recently announced. If I do include Cloud into this story (well I'll probably at least have him show up at some point), I will wait till he is in the game proper, and all the details about him are fully known, as he along with the Midgar stage are still to be announced for release for both the 3DS and Wii U version of Smash Bros. **

**5\. Besides Cloud as a future playable character, and the Midgar stage that were announced, a special December 2015 Smash Bros only presentation was also announced. Whatever gets announced from there I will also potentially incorporate into this story. I imagine it will probably discuss the Smash Bros Ballot that ended in October 2015 (though it's not confirmed technically, they'll talk about that), and such. I look forward to seeing what this presentation will end up discussing, both for myself personally as someone who likes Smash Bros and to see if anything else can possibly be incorporated into this story.**

**That's it for notes for now. I once again thank everyone who has been reading this story and supporting it so far, as well as your patience once more. Till the next chapter!**


	36. Petey Piranha Problems

**Hey everyone! Chapter 36 is finally here! Also Happy New Year! Here's to a good 2016 for everyone! Been busy with work and life, so glad as usual to finally get another chapter out. As usual, I will address the reviews from the previous chapters before moving on.**

**First off thank you to cgstrykerz for your good luck for the story and for real life. I'm very appreciative of that.**

**Next I will like to address oddfuturelives who asked me if I can include Wario in the future, and involved? Possibly. Those ideas you brought up are ones I'll consider for the future possibly. No promises though, and not guaranteed but maybe. I hope you continue to enjoy the story in general**

**To the guest who asked for my reaction regarding Cloud being in Smash Bros now... I was pretty speechless. I was not expecting Cloud at all. As for helping him out of his zone, or for other Final Fantasy characters showing up, I can't promise anything but maybe. No guarantees. I hope you also continue to enjoy the story in general as well.**

**From edboy4926m, thank you for enjoying it. As for Bayonetta... well Corrin as well I should bring up... I'll address those two at the notes at the end of this chapter. As for Master Hand, we'll get there when we get there eventually and see what happens, which we will at some point.**

**From the guest who brought up the random thought, regarding Naoto and the police officer thing, yeah. It is very reasonable from her position regarding the use of Evokers, compared to the other characters. Better safe, then sorry and all. I will also continue writing as well, and hope you and everyone else continue to enjoy.**

**With that said, I hope you're all enjoying the story so far and future chapters as well. I will also address the Final Video Super Smash Bros Presentation, shown in December 2015 at the end of the chapter as well. Also a music track I recommend to be played, later in this chapter, to note. With that said, I hope you all enjoy this chapter as well.**

* * *

Despite seeing what Bowser and Pit were up to at the previous night before, let's rewind to the late afternoon of that same day. The Investigation Team, had surprised expressions on their faces, while Theodore had one with sweat running down his normally calm demeanor, while Elizabeth simply had a smirk on their face, as they saw SEES return to them, along with a certain girl they were all familiar with. Yu had informed the rest of the Investigation Team, along with Elizabeth and Theodore about her coming.

"Marie-chan!" the members of the Investigation Team all exclaimed, as they went up to her. Many questions were had, and many things were said between them all, but the only conclusion they could come up with, that a certain someone was involved in some way, for why she was now here.

"Why is Marie here though?" Rise said out loud, as that was the one big question they all had.

"I wouldn't be surprised if The Master was involved in Marie appearing in this world now." Yukiko suggested, in a puzzled state.

"Yeah but why would he do that to Marie-chan? Just for giggles?" Teddie said in response, confused as well. They all shrugged, not understanding the situation, while Marie looked confused.

"Who's The Master?" Marie asked. "Sounds like whoever he is, he's in charge,"

"It's a long story Marie. We'll all do our best to fill you in." Yu stated as he then turned to face the SEES members. "Thank you all for bringing her here. We'll take care of her,"

"No problem Yu. If anything else happens, we'll let you guys know as soon as possible," Minato stated, as both SEES and the Investigation Team nodded towards each other. The SEES members bid farewell, as they left the area, and soon Marie was back with the Investigation Team and with Elizabeth and Theodore.

"It seems the surprises never cease," Elizabeth mused, while Theodore had a somewhat nervous expression on his face. He recalled how Marie got along during the labyrinths incident. Not so great all things considering, with her constantly ordering him to get stuff for her.

"Hey Theo! Do you and Elizabeth have a spare bed in your room?" Marie shouted, as Theodore reluctantly nodded with a somewhat paled expression. "Alright. I guess I'll stay with you two. But first I want all of you to let me know, what exactly is going on here. I'm still really confused,"

"As Yu sempai stated, we'll do our best to inform you all the details of the current situation," Naoto stated, as they all decided to go to the makeshift Velvet Room, and inform her of the situation. We now go back to focus on SEES as it was now evening, as they were eating at a diner, having dinner, before heading back to Smash Tower. They were all currently sitting at a table, with the boys on one booth (with Koromaru resting on Minato's lap), and with the girls sitting on the other side. They had each already placed an order for food and were discussing why Marie was now here in this world.

"Man, this gets weirder and weirder," Junpei stated out loud.

"I don't see a logical reason for bringing Marie to this world, as far as we know so far," Mitsuru stated, as she was wondering, if this was really the work of The Master.

"Well who else besides The Master can do something like that Mitsuru?" Akihiko asked.

"I kind of doubt those chairmen punks can do something like that, even if they are second in command, unless The Master allows them," Shinjiro added, to backup Akihiko. Mitsuru went into a thinking position while the rest of the SEES members thought about it as well. Yukari suddenly remembered something as she spoke next.

"You know… when we were all in that movie theater… didn't all of us hear a second voice laughing with The Master at some point?"

"Oh yeah! I remember that now!" Junpei exclaimed, as they were all recalling what Yukari stated.

"Yeah. It was when Fuuka-san called the treatment we were getting, like if we were play toys," Ken stated, as Fuuka recalled exactly what Ken said.

"Yes. We all did hear a second voice laughing along with The Master. Maybe… he's not the only one?" Fuuka said, as they all thought about this.

"This is another thing we can look into," Aigis stated, as Koromaru barked some concerns. "Koromaru-san says, that the voice that laughed along with The Master sounded crazier in comparison,"

"I suppose that's another thing to ask the chairmen. Maybe someone else is working alongside him. Or maybe he just has the ability to laugh like a maniac, beside a regular laugh," Minato said. "But we can save that for tomorrow. Let's just head to dinner and head to bed. I think we did alright for today,"

The rest of SEES agreed with their leader, as they continued to wait for their dinner, they each ordered for themselves. Afterwards, they all headed back to Smash Tower together on a bus, as they soon retired for the day.

* * *

We now go back to focusing on Bowser, as we move the clock forward to midnight. We see the Koopa King, looking annoyed as he finally made it to the floor he stayed at, and walked to a black door that belonged to him. It had a golden name plaque that said his name. He opened it and went inside, and was ready to crash into his bed, ready to sleep, when he heard a familiar voice call out to him.

"King Bowser!" shouted the voice of a familiar Magikoopa. Bowser irritably turned around, as he saw Kamek walking into his room.

"What is it Kamek? I want to go to bed right now!" Bowser whined, as he felt tempted to punch the Magikoopa. Kamek slightly flinched, but kept walking in, as he had some news to tell the Koopa King.

"I wished to speak with you about something," Kamek said. Bowser rolled his eyes, as he was wondering if this was worth his time. "Before I do so, I heard you were busy earlier? Young master Junior informed me that you were doing some work."

"Yep. And it's done with, and I don't want to talk about it. Now out with it, before I sock you!' Bowser replied. Kamek just sighed, wondering why he bothered sometimes.

"Well… I was working on something you may find of use in the future. It's done, and I wish to give it to you," Kamek said, as he then showed Bowser something. It was what appeared to be a light green whistle with three air holes on it. Bowser stared curiously at the object before he said the following.

"Is that a Warp Whistle? Aren't they normally colored yellow?' Bowser asked curiously. Kamek smirked as he knew, he caught his king's attention.

"Yes it is one, and yes they are normally yellow. This one is special though. Instead of allowing you to warp somewhere else, I was making it, so that this green Warp Whistle can summon one of your minions to do your bidding," Kamek answered. Bowser smirked with his sharp teeth, as that sounded fun to him. "That minion being Petey Piranha,"

"Heh. That overgrown plant could cause some fun trouble if I wanted him too," Bowser said with a smirk, as he snatched the Warp Whistle from Kamek's hand. "But I don't really see a situation where I'll need that overgrown plant, but I'll keep it in mind. Thanks Kamek,"

"I live to serve you King Bowser. You always demanded new toys from me, ever since you were a baby. I figure it be nice to surprise you with one," Kamek stated. The Magikoopa began to walk away, and Bowser stared at his green gift with glee.

"I can cause some trouble without having to be directly involved. Not bad Kamek. Not bad at all. Anyway I should head to bed," Bowser grumbled maliciously with a yawn as he soon headed to bed, ready to sleep. The next morning, Bowser, who was now feeling much more refreshed (though he still felt a bit tired and restless, as he still had some bandages he planned on removing tomorrow) headed to Junior's room, which was also on the same floor, wanting to see his youngest son. Unknown to Bowser's knowledge (and to what happened to Junior yesterday), Dark Pit sneaked the young prince, back to his room to rest in his bed. When Bowser entered, he saw Junior drawing on his sketchbook with crayons. This time he noticed he seemed to be a bit mad.

"Good morning Junior. You okay?" Bowser asked nicely, as he was curious to see why Junior seemed to be coloring with such… angry emotion. Junior stopped as he saw his father, sighed, and smiled for his dad.

"Papa! Good to see you! I was just… drawing a picture of this meanie! This meanie girl I met yesterday!" Junior answered. Bowser blinked his eyes for a bit, unsure of how to react. He walked closer and saw that Junior was drawing a crude crayon like drawing of a girl with a blue hat, who wore white and black themed clothes, and a red skirt. Bowser blinked his eyes once more, as he had never seen this person before. Nonetheless he decided to calm his youngest son down.

"Relax Junior. That meanie girl isn't here. Why don't you get breakfast?" Bowser asked. Junior calmed down fully as he stopped crayoning the picture and nodded in response. Junior listened to his father, and soon left the room, to head to the cafeteria in Smash Tower. Bowser stared at the picture drawn, and wondered what to do with it.

"Better take it with me. Don't want Junior to focus on stuff like this, getting him down," Bowser mumbled as he took the picture, of the so called meanie girl. "Anyway… what am I going to do today, now that I'm off the hook?"

Bowser walked back into the hallway onto his floor, and pondered how he was going to spend the rest of his day. He then smirked as he came up with something he wanted to do.

"I still feel kind of tired after all that work yesterday. I don't want to nap all day in my room though. Maybe I'll find a nice place to take a long nap at instead. The weather is supposed to be really nice today." Bowser said to himself, as he liked the idea. He then recalled the times, he would have picnics with Dedede at Central Park, and the big penguin would bring a hammock to attach to two trees, to nap in, after eating. "Sleeping under the shade of a tree in Central Park sounds really nice right about now,"

With that, Bowser headed off to towards Central Park in New York City. We now reconvene with Minato as he had decided to walk towards the chairmen's office. Today he had some questions they had in mind they wanted to ask. The other members of SEES wanted to spend the day, learning about the many other fighters, arenas, items, and any other miscellaneous pieces of information they were allowed to know about now. The first question he had was regarding Marie's appearance, and why she was here. The second question he had, was what would be Minato's exact fate, if he had defeated The Master. He arrived at the chairmen's office and took a moment to take a deep breath, and to sigh.

"I really wonder what the future holds. After I see these guys, I should really see Shulk, Pit, or Palutena and Rosalina," Minato said to himself, as he slowly knocked on the door. A part of him wondered if they were even in that room. Slowly but surely, the door opened as Minato saw the purple wearing chairman, Fuchsia wear an annoyed scowl on his face. Behind the purple wearing chairman was the rest of the chairman brothers, with the orange chairman Sunset, showing a little frustration on his face, as he recalled the night he saw Minato alone, involving his handheld gaming system.

"Mr. Arisato. What brings you here?" Fuchsia said with annoyance present in his voice.

"I have some questions I want to ask you guys." Minato said. The chairman all smirked towards Minato, which only made him glare back. "I get the feeling you guys don't want to answer them at the moment,"

"We don't feel like dealing with you at the moment Mr. Arisato." Jade the green chairman taunted.

"We have way more pressing matters we are currently dealing with. Matters concerning future announcements that The Master discussed with us recently," Ash the gray chairman explained.

"So if you would be so kind, to exit the vicinity, we would appreciate that, so we can continue our conversation with each other," Golden the yellow chairman added with a chipper smile. Minato stood his ground, glaring at them.

"Heh. Playing the tough guy at the moment huh? We can play at that game," Sunset said, as he pulled out what appeared to be a black remote control, with a big white button on it, that was imprinted with the word "Mii," on it. Minato felt his frustration increase as he had a strong feeling what that remote was. Sunset handed it to his blue chairman brother, Azure who now held the remote.

"We had this remote made, to instantly alert Brawler, Sword-Fighter, and Gunner to this office if needed. Technology is very convenient isn't it?" Azure stated calmly. "I'm sure you're fully aware what those three are capable of, as your previous meeting with them has showed,"

"With that said Mr. Arisato, I believe it's time you leave this room. When we're eventually… free of our current tasks, we will answer you in the future. But for now, we all suggest you leave," Crimson, the red chairman stated with both a smirk and look of anger. Minato did not look happy, as he slowly left the room, and closed the doors. They chairman resumed their conversation as they began to discuss something, The Master recently informed them. "Good. Now that Mr. Arisato is gone, let's get back to discussing how we'll prepare for the next three newcomers joining, that The Master plans to have joining this tournament in the future…"

Minato was in the elevator heading as he pondered his current thoughts on the situation. He sighed with frustration, and wondered what his next move is going to be.

"Guess I'll try to find Shulk, Pit, Palutena, or Rosalina." Minato said to himself. He then decided to head to the floor that Pit stayed at. He learned during his time here, that fighters who stayed at the same floor with each other, tended to be from the same universe for the most part, with some exceptions. He decided to see if Pit or Palutena was available to talk too. He arrived at the floor that belonged to Pit, Dark Pit, and Palutena. He walked up the room that belonged to Pit, as it also had a golden plaque that labelled his name. He knocked on it, expecting Pit to open it. He waited a few moments, and heard nothing. Minato knocked on it once more, wondering if Pit was in his room at the moment. The blue haired teen sighed, and was about to walk over to the room, that belonged to Palutena, as the green haired goddess had wanted to speak to him and Fuuka, along with Rosalina about something. But the door just opened, as Minato saw Pit, and noticed he had some bandages on him.

"Hey Minato! How are you?" Pit asked, sounding a bit groggy and tired. Minato raised his eyebrows, and wondered why Pit looked a bit beat up.

"What's with the bandages? They come from confronting Bowser, the other day?" Minato asked. Pit nodded feeling embarrassed, with a sheepish grin, while Minato sighed. "I appreciate the sentiment, but don't get into any fights that aren't necessary like that,"

"That bully Bowser burned your Evoker to a crisp. Didn't feel right to let that go," Pit responded. "How are you doing without an Evoker? I know you need that to summon your Personas and all,"

"It's fine now. I got a replacement," Minato said with a smile, as Pit smiled back from hearing that. "Anyway, you said to me that night, you wanted to talk to me about something?"

Pit nodded, but had a pained sigh come out, as he placed a hand on his head. Minato now looked concerned as he saw Pit like this. Pit shook it off, and sighed.

"Still feeling sore. Bowser can hit really hard and I was also busy working all day on something yesterday, so I'm still feeling tired and exhausted. Maybe in the future we can talk Minato." Pit said.

"I understand Pit. We'll talk to each other about whatever it is you wanted, later then." Minato said, which Pit smiled back at. "Well good seeing you Pit. I'm going to go see Palutena right now."

"Oh wait!" Pit exclaimed, catching Minato's attention. "Lady Palutena is actually not in Smash Tower at the moment!"

"Is that so? Where's Palutena then?" Minato asked curiously.

"Lady Palutena asked The Master if she could take some time off and was allowed to. She wanted to go back and check on Skyworld and see if everything was alright. She said to me and Pittoo, she's not sure how long she'll be gone, as she wants to do a thorough inspection and status update on everything," Pit explained.

"I figure The Master would want her to stay, for matches," Minato replied, a bit surprised.

"Well apparently Lady Palutena's schedule for the recent future is pretty free of matches with the other fighters. That's one of the main reasons she's allowed to do this. The other is that she had some recent matches already, and The Master allows us fighters to take breaks sometimes in general." Pit said.

"I see. Well thanks for the info Pit. I guess I'll see if Rosalina or Shulk is available to talk too," Minato answered. Pit upon hearing this, however caught Minato's attention again, as he said another thing.

"Huh. Bad timing Minato. Rosalina went back to her home, from her universe. Said she wanted to pay a visit to see her children. Shulk took a break recently to see his family and friends from the universe he's from as well." Pit explained, while Minato just sighed. The people he had to see were all currently unavailable (that and Rosalina was apparently a mother apparently? He have to clear that up later).

"Well thanks for saving me the trip Pit. Guess I'll head back to my floor for now... see you later," Minato said as he headed out of the floor, while Pit himself sighed, wondering how their future one on one conversation, was going to go.

* * *

We now focus on the Investigation Team and go back to last night once more. Everyone was in their respective rooms. Kanji was knitting with red, blue, and white yarn and wool, as he was determined to get Teddie's bear costume done, as he was growing tired of his fellow companion's whining. Yosuke, Teddie, and Yu were all sleeping in their respective beds instead, while Kanji who was wearing purple pajamas, slaved away at making Teddie's bear outfit. We now fast-forward and see Kanji, sleeping tiredly, as he drooled on top of what appeared to be a new uniform for Teddie that he finally got done. It was now morning as everyone was sleeping (especially Kanji who was snoring and needing it the most). Yu slowly woke up as he didn't feel so great and sneezed. He felt his throat was a bit sore, and he fumbled around looking for a tissue box in the room.

"This is not a good start to this morning," Yu whispered to himself as he finally found a box of tissues. He then went back to his bed and found himself sneezing and coughing profusely, which ended up waking up Yosuke, Kanji, and Teddie who were now also awake as they saw Yu like this.

"You don't look so good. Better stay in today sempai and get some rest," Kanji said tiredly, as he rubbed his eyes. The others also now noticed that Kanji, made Teddie's bear suit as well. Teddie was ecstatic as he jumped up and down, while Yosuke rolled his eyes.

"Thank you Kanji! While I love being my pretty boy self for the ladies, it's been a while since I can be a bear!" Teddie shouted with glee.

"Yeah. Too bad you're just as annoying as a bear, as well," Yosuke whined, as he turned his attention to Yu, who was sniffling. "You should stay in today Yu. We can get you some over the counter medicine to fix you up,"

"It's alright Yosuke. Also thanks for making Teddie's suit Kanji." Yu said as he coughed for a bit. "Man I don't feel well. I planned for us to leave and get our weapons today for each of us today as well,"

"It's alright Yu. We can pick up our weapons by ourselves. I'll lead today!" Yosuke suggested. Teddie and Kanji looked at each other with uncertainty, while Yu nodded back to Yosuke with a friendly smile, acknowledging his friend's request. "Alright Yu! Leave it to me!"

"Are you sure Yosuke is a good leader, sensei?" Teddie questioned, as Yosuke felt annoyed by what he just heard.

"Hey! I can be a good leader! I can!" Yosuke said with annoyance.

"Yeah but Yosuke sempai, you've had a lot of moments that kind of make you look… really bad," Kanji stated. Yosuke looked annoyed while Yu just laughed very softly.

"Don't worry guys. Yosuke can lead. It's not a big deal, what you guys have to get anyway," Yu said. Yosuke smiled once more.

"I'll do you proud partner! I'll be the best leader I can be, when you're not being the leader!" Yosuke said excitedly.

We now see all the Investigation Team Members in the city of Manhattan as they went out. They all wore a small backpack now as well, to carry their Evokers in. They split into two groups as the male Investigation Team members went to look for items pertaining to them (Yosuke also made an effort to pick up some medicine from a pharmacy for Yu), while the girls did the same as they also took Marie along as the girls wanted to find more clothes for her, and to show her around the city in general. They all also did some shopping in general, picking up any groceries and such needed. They agreed to meet up at Central Park, when they were done. We now see the Investigation Team at Central Park, as each person carried a shopping bag, and were at a grassy area with some trees nearby. The Investigation Team got some weird looks from others as they went around today (especially as Teddie was now wearing his bear costume, as they walked around, as many people were unfamiliar with the group of teens for the most part). The weather was very nice, as various people, were doing various activities around, in Central Park.

"Got myself some monkey wrenches! Look out world, Yosuke Hanumura won't be afraid to wrench anyone who tries to get at him!" Yosuke said happily.

"Got myself a nice folding chair! Also something nice to sit on, when I just want to relax," Kanji said as he carried a large bag containing a large metal chair.

"I got the stuff Junpei said! When we get back, I'll start taping it all together for some bear claws!" Teddie said with a huge grin.

"The rest of us manage to procure our respective weapons as well," Naoto stated calmly.

"We should head back to Langham Place to drop off all this stuff. Kind of tiring to be carrying it all around," Rise said, as she held a suit case, holding a mic stand.

"Plus Marie-chan has a lot of bags filled with clothes. We should probably head back." Yukiko stated. Marie nodded as she carried various amount of bags. Chie however said something that caught all their attention.

"Wait! I was hoping to try these new shoes out!" Chie exclaimed. She took out a pair of green colored sneakers from her shopping bag, along with a soccer ball she purchased from the same store. "Today is such a nice day. It be nice for all of us to relax and have some fun,"

"I don't know Chie. I have to get Yu his medicine and all." Yosuke questioned. "Did you get Yu's golf clubs as well, at the sports store?"

"Yep! Thankfully with Elizabeth around, we pretty much have an unlimited supply of money," as she took out a golf club, that Yu was going to use. "That's a good point Yosuke. But we can have one quick game of soccer! It won't be too long?"

"No way! We're heading back to Langham Place now. I'm the leader for now, and what I say goes!" Yosuke argued back. Chie placed the soccer ball on the ground, along with her shopping bags, and Yosuke did the same with his shopping bag. The two did their arguing, that the rest of the team sighed at.

"Why don't we just play soccer after we drop off our belongings? That way, we satisfy everyone," Naoto suggested. Both Yosuke and Chie stopped arguing, and thought about it. Then they both nodded.

"Alright Naoto-kun. But I want to kick it once! I want to try out my new boots!" Chie said with excitement. With that said, Chie changed into the new pair of sneakers, and with a running kick, she slammed the soccer ball high into the air. They all watched the soccer ball go flying, as it slowly descended. However… where the soccer ball was heading, was about to make them all gulp with fear, except Marie.

"Isn't that… the Bowser guy we saw the other night!?" Teddie said with a feared expression on his bear face, as they saw the soccer ball, heading towards the Koopa King, who was napping under a tree. They all desperately ran towards the Koopa King's direction, in some desperate attempt to somehow catch the soccer ball, before it would make contact with him. They were too late as they just stopped right nearby the Koopa King, as the soccer ball slammed into the Koopa King's face, who had a confused and pained expression on his face, as he now woke up.

"**OWWW!** What the heck!?" Bowser yelled out, as the soccer ball hit him in the face. The Koopa King stood up, and picked up the soccer ball, confused. He then saw nearby, the Investigation Team, who all had paled expressions, along with Marie who didn't have one. "Hey! You all look like some of the teenager punks who were with Blue Mint that night!"

"Sorry! That was a total accident! Can we have our soccer ball back?" Chie said, with a fearful expression on her face. Bowser with a smug and annoyed expression on his face, placed the soccer ball on the ground, and using his right foot, stomped on it fully till it resembled a deflated black and white pancake. He then tossed it at Chie, who just took a step back, as it landed in front of her. "Ummm… thank you?"

"Hey bull face! Why don't you treat other people's property with respect!?" Marie yelled out. The rest of the Investigation Team turned to face Marie with cringed expressions. Bowser then focused his attention on the girl, and suddenly blinked. He then suddenly went into his large spiky shell, confusing the teenagers, and when he came out, he held what appeared to be a white sketchbook page. Bowser stared at the sketchbook page, and then back at Marie, and then a light bulb figuratively lit up in his head. Bowser then began to stomp the ground with his right foot, and shook his right fist at them, as smoke and steam started to pop out of his head, causing the Investigation Team members and Marie to start backing away, as Bowser was throwing his own temper tantrum.

"You're the meanie that made Junior feel bad!" Bowser yelled out. Anybody nearby, who were enjoying the day in Central Park, thought it was now the best time to leave, as other people started to hurry away from the scene, as they knew the Koopa King was prone to getting mad easily.

"Marie, what is he talking about?" Yukiko asked, confused.

"Junior? Oh! That turtle kid I met yesterday must be related to this guy!" Marie answered back, as the others wondered what Marie did exactly at Smash Tower, yesterday.

"What did you do exactly yesterday?" Naoto questioned.

"We have time to learn about that later. Everyone, we should probably head back now! Have a nice day, Mr. Bowser!" Rise shouted in fear. The group all nodded, as they turned around and began to run. Bowser seeing this, immediately snapped his fingers, as a familiar helicopter like vehicle soon came nearby him. Like how Junior used a vehicle called the Junior Clown Car, Bowser had a similar one called the Koopa Clown Car, which was a much bigger version, accommodating the Koopa King's size. Bowser leaped into his personal vehicle, and then flew it right in front of the teens who stopped running, when they saw this, as they froze with fear.

"I personally deal with you punks myself, but I'm not feeling up for it. I'll leave you chumps with a fun playmate! Come out Petey Piranha!" Bowser shouted, as he took out his green Warp Whistle that Kamek gave him. He grinned viciously as he was determined to test his new toy out, as he soon blew on it. A melody from the whistle began to be played, as the Koopa King used it, confusing the teenagers as they heard it being played. "Have some trouble! **GWAHAHAHAHA!"**

_*** Big Bang!/Boss Battle - (Mario &amp; Luigi: Paper Jam) ***_

Bowser flew off using his Koopa Clown Car, as he headed back to Smash Tower, while the ground began to shake for a bit, making them all nervous.

"Who or what the hell is a Petey Piranha!?" Kanji shouted, feeling nervous. Soon from the ground in front of them, popped up a large plant like beast that made them all chatter their teeth. The creature called Petey Piranha had a large red head with white polka dots on it, that also had huge green lips and sharp teeth inside it, and a somewhat humanoid like body as well. On its head were yellow petals with a red tint to them on the ends, that somewhat resembled a lion's mane, except for a plant monster. It had two green leafy like appendages, two stubby green legs, and bizarrely enough, wore red underwear like briefs with white polka dots on them on it's main body. Petey Piranha roared at them all, as it stared hungrily at them.

"That's Petey Piranha?" Yukiko questioned, as they all stared worriedly at the bizarre plant monster. "Looks like something out of Little Shop of Horrors,"

"No time for movie references. Get Yu, his medicine!" Yosuke shouted, as he tossed Chie, one of his shopping bags. "Kanji, Teddie, and myself will take this thing down!"

"Are you crazy Yosuke!?" Chie shouted, with fear, while Teddie and Kanji looked very fearful, from what they just heard.

"As the current leader, that's what I'm ordering! You guys are all carrying too much stuff! You'll be too slow to fight this thing," Yosuke yelled out. "That's an order!"

"This is such a dumb idea, Yosuke sempai, but fine!" Rise shouted out in worry. The girls all made a run for it, back to Langham Place, while Kanji, Teddie, and Yosuke all pulled out their Evokers, and their newly bought weapons… except Teddie who couldn't pull out his weapons, on the account of them not being made yet.

"I really hope that thing doesn't eat us," Kanji said trying to sound tough, but ended up sounding nervous.

"But Yosuke! I can't fight without my makeshift bear claws! I didn't make them yet! I only have my Evoker to summon my Persona!" Teddie whined. Yosuke had a pained expression appear on his face, as he realized this mistake.

"Oh crap! Well... better than nothing! We can take down this overgrown plant!" Yosuke replied. Petey Piranha roared at them once more, while the three gulped. "Come on you overgrown plant! You're wearing red briefs for Pete's sake!"

Hearing the insult Yosuke shouted at it, Petey Piranha lowered its head as it then charged forward, intending to ram into the three teenagers. They immediately leaped out of the way, as the giant plant monster missed them. It then turned around as Yosuke decided to fight back.

"Jiraya! Garudyne Petey Piranha!" Yosuke shouted out, as he used his Evoker. His frog like Persona appeared and blasted wind at the plant creature. It seemed to do nothing, as Petey Piranha seemed to smirk through the windy assault, as it was too heavy to be pushed back. It began to stomp towards them till it was right in front of Teddie. Without warning, it grabbed the bear and bit at the lower half of his bear suit, as Teddie comically flailed his arms around, as it tried to chew on him.

"**THIS IS BEARY BAD! GET ME OUT OF THIS THING!**" Teddie screamed with extreme panic as Petey Piranha tried to chew on him. Kanji immediately ran up to the front of Petey Piranha, and slammed his metal folding chair onto the plant's big stomach. Petey spit Teddie forward, as the bear slammed into a tree nearby, with a very pained expression on his face. Petey Piranha turned his attention to Kanji, as the teen began to sweat bullets as the plant monster faced him, while Yosuke helped Teddie up.

"That was beary painful," Teddie whined with a bear pun, thankful he had his bear suit on, as he knew that hurt a lot more, if he wasn't in his bear form. Kanji ran back to where Teddie and Yosuke stood, as the huge plant licked its lips, hungrily at Teddie. "Oh no! That Petey guy thinks I taste good! I do not taste good Mr. Piranha!"

Petey Piranha roared at them once more, as it leaped at the three. The three jumped out of the way, as the huge plant almost stomped on them. Teddie who was angry at what happened to him before, pulled out his Evoker as he wanted to get payback at the plant.

"Kintoki-Douji! Show that Petey Piranha, that Winter came early, and it's ready to make all the plants go away!" Teddie shouted, as his spherical Persona appeared and used a Bufudyne to summon a large block of ice. Teddie's Persona picked up the large chunk of ice, and tossed it towards the plant. But it soon did something that surprised them. Petey Piranha rapidly flapped its leafy like appendages and quickly took to the sky, surprising the three Persona users, as it dodged the chunk of ice, that hit the ground below it.

"That damn plant can fly!?" Kanji whined in surprise. Petey Piranha then quickly pounded the ground, using its behind, causing a shock wave to appear, and it quickly knocked the three Persona users down. Petey Piranha slowly walked back to Teddie, menacingly intending to get a nice snack out of the bear.

"Hey petal face! Don't eat my bear pal!" Kanji yelled out as the teenager took out his Evoker and used it, as Petey Piranha turned to face Kanji. "Take-Mikazuchi! Kill Rush Petey Piranha!"

Kanji's large robotic skeletal like Persona appeared, as it charged forward and knocked Petey Piranha out of the way with a tackle, as Teddie quickly picked himself up. Kanji dismissed his Persona, as he regrouped with Yosuke and Teddie.

"Nice save!" Teddie said, grateful that just happened. "This thing is really tough!"

"Well it's tougher than the average Shadow we've dealt with in the past, that's for sure. But we can definitely clip this plant," Yosuke said, as he then decided to taunt Petey Piranha. "Come on you overgrown weed! You didn't taste me yet! I taste way better then Teddie!"

"Hey… wait what!?" Teddie said, unsure how to feel about the comment he just heard. Petey Piranha lowered its head once more as it intended to ram into Yosuke with it. Yosuke smirked as the teen quickly stood in front of a tree. He gulped though, cause he knew if he messed up, what he was about to try, it was going to be painful to be rammed by that huge plant monster. Petey Piranha charged forward with its head down, intending to ram into Yosuke with it. Just as Petey Piranha was about to ram into Yosuke, the teen leaped into the air, and the plant monster ran into the tree hard. Petey Piranha comically saw stars for a bit, as it walked around dazed, before falling on its back, still seeing stars.

"Let's get him while he's down guys!" Yosuke shouted out, as he took out his monkey wrenches. Yosuke, Kanji, and Teddie walked over to the downed Petey Piranha, as they all began to hit the beast. Yosuke and Kanji were using their monkey wrenches and folding chair respectively to hit the plant, while Teddie decided to jump up and down on the plant's belly to contribute. This was short lived, as the plant finally shook off its dizziness and quickly stood up. Using its leaf like appendages, it smacked the three away, as they fell onto the ground. Petey Piranha jumped up and down as it roared with fury, and its whole being now had a shade of red on it, as steam popped out from its head, and a train like whistle sound came out of it, signifying and showcasing its anger.

"That thing is so pissed at us now!" Kanji screamed in fear, as the teenagers picked themselves up, and gulped. Petey Piranha now began to run after them, with surprising speed, as its stubby green legs chased after them.

"Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!" Yosuke shouted, as the three were being chased. Yosuke looked around his surroundings, and noted the large lake nearby, that was part of Central Park. "Let's head over to that lake! Maybe we can find something there to stop this thing!"

"Whatever you say Yosuke! I don't want to be bear food for Petey Piranha!" Teddie whined with fear, as the angry hungry plant, chased after them. Anybody who was nearby or in the lake area of Central Park, vamoosed it out of there, as they saw the three being chased by Petey Piranha. That included all the guests, the workers, and people who were on boats in the lake, as they swam out of the area, not wanting to get involved. "What are we doing to do to stop this thing!?"

"Look Yosuke sempai! A hot dog cart!" Kanji shouted and pointed out, as it was now abandoned by its current owner. "Maybe we can feed him that?"

"I'll try anything to get this hungry plant to stop chasing us!" Yosuke shouted as the three got behind a hot dog cart, and pushed it towards the chasing plant. Petey Piranha crashed into the hot dog cart, and angrily roared in response. However its head began to do a sniffing like motion, as it soon began to bite out of the hot dog cart, hungrily and all, as its large teeth mashed through everything in its way.

"That bought us some time, before that Petey Piranha plant, gets us," Kanji said out of breath. "What are we going to do Yosuke sempai? That thing isn't going to stop till it turns us into his next meal!"

Yosuke quickly looked around as his teeth chattered. He desperately tried to think of a plan. He then looked at the lake, and then at himself and Kanji, and Teddie. He then suddenly came up with an idea that he hoped would work.

"Alright guys. I came up with something. Huddle up now!" Yosuke ordered, as Kanji and Teddie quickly came close to the teenager boy. He quickly whispered his idea to the other two. Teddie looked unsure, and especially considering his role in this plan.

"Why do I have to be the bait!?" Teddie whined angrily and with fear, as being chomped on earlier by Petey Piranha was something he wasn't ready to risk happening again.

"Because that plant got a taste of you and liked it! Quit your whining, unless you want us all to be eaten by that thing!" Kanji yelled at Teddie. Teddie sighed and reluctantly nodded. Petey Piranha had finally stopped biting the hot dog cart, as it barely remained. A loud whistle like sound was caused by a certain bear, as Petey Piranha looked toward the direction of the lake in Central Park. Teddie now stood on one of the abandoned boats, as Petey Piranha looked toward the bear's direction.

"Oh Mr. Petey Piranha! I'm right here! The beary delicious Teddie! I'm right here if you want another bite!" Teddie reluctantly taunted. Petey Piranha seeing this, licked its lips hungrily once more while Teddie gulped in fear. The plant began to flap its leaf like appendages once more, intending to devour its prey. It flapped above the boat where Teddie stood at and fell, headfirst, intending to swallow the bear. Teddie leaped out of the way screaming, as the plant monster almost swallowed him. Petey Piranha crashed into the boat hard, as the plant monster picked itself up and roared with more anger.

"Jiraya! Garudyne Petey Piranha like last time!" Yosuke shouted as he evoked his Evoker, as he hoped with what he had planned works. He summoned his frog ninja like Persona once more, and a huge blast of wind was being blown toward Petey Piranha. "Now Teddie!"

"Kintoki-Douji! Use Bufudyne!" Teddie quickly ordered. Petey Piranha tried to get off the boat, but found it shaking due to its weight, being above water, and the wind blasts that were pushing towards its direction, causing the ground to not be stable. Soon Kintoki-Douji threw a huge chunk of ice, into where Jiraya's blasts of wind using Garudyne was had. The ice flew straight into Petey Piranha, and knocked the plant monster into the lake. "Now Kanji!"

"But… all the fish and creatures living in the lake will be fried to a crisp," Kanji said worriedly, as he realized what his part of Yosuke's idea would end up doing.

"**KANJI!**" Both Yosuke and Teddie yelled at him. Kanji had an angry expression as he yelled the following.

"Alright already! I'll do it!" Kanji yelled out annoyed. He then took out his own Evoker, and played his role in the plan. "Take-Mikazuchi! Use Ziodyne on the lake now!"

Kanji summoned his Persona once more, as the being did with what it was ordered. Using the large lightning bolt it carried on its hands, it summoned a blast of lightning that shocked the entire lake. Soon Petey Piranha came flying out of the lake and crashed onto the ground on it's back, now seeing stars, as the huge plant beast was charred and had its huge mouth agape, as Petey Piranha was currently dazed.

"Teddie… you can do the honors," Yosuke said with a smirk and a nod, as Kanji smirked and nodded with him. Teddie took out his Evoker once more, as he planned to feed Petey Piranha one last gift.

"Mr. Petey Piranha! Time I give you dessert! Courtesy of Teddie!" Teddie angrily and excitedly shouted, as he summoned his Persona once more, which now held a white tomahawk missile. Kintoki-Douji shoved the large missile into Petey Piranha's mouth. Teddie dismissed his Persona, and along with Yosuke and Kanji, backed away, as a huge explosion soon occurred. The three then saw Petey Piranha flying into the sky due to the explosion, till the giant plant monster was nothing more than a twinkling star, that was now gone from sight.

"I can't believe we actually survived under Yosuke sempai's leadership," Kanji said, as he sat on the ground tired and sighed. Yosuke shot Kanji an annoyed look, and was about to argue, but felt too tired after what happened, and ended up sighing as he sat on the ground. "What a crazy day,"

"You can say that again Kanji. Being eaten by a giant plant monster is crazy," Teddie whined. "Maybe being a bear isn't worth it. Bear meat is too delicious tasting apparently,"

"At least we're alive. I didn't do too badly as a leader… right?" Yosuke said. They all then noticed the lake was now filled with dead fish, and various other dead creatures that lived in it, due to the electrical attack earlier. The three stared at each other with embarrassed expressions and sighed. "Let's just head back to Langham Place,"

The three nodded, and slowly walked out of the park. Yosuke, Kanji, and Teddie continued to discuss, argue, and talk in general as they left, but were thankful that situation ended alright, for the most part.

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

**So what did you all think? Notes as always.**

**1\. Petey Piranha was a boss in Super Smash Bros Brawl, during the Subspace Emissary. I figure it be appropriate for him to be the one Bowser summoned, as it's still keeping true to Smash Bros, as Petey Piranha played a role, in Brawl. I do want to note still, that Subspace Emissary is still not canon, within the context of this story, but this chapter was an example of a way to reference it. Like how some of the Koopalings showed up in some of the earlier chapters, I will do my best to adhere to characters or anything/anyone that appeared in Smash Bros in some way. Not always, but when I can.**

**2\. Big Bang is the name of the Boss Battle theme in Mario &amp; Luigi: Paper Jam, which is already out in Japan, Europe, and Australia, and will be coming to North America later in January 2015. Petey Piranha is a boss in that game, and so it fit. Plus some of Petey Piranha's attacks that he used in this chapter comes from that game.**

**3\. Teddie's Persona using the tomahawk missile, is a move that Teddie can use in Persona 4 Arena and Persona 4 Arena Ultimax. **

**4\. Warp Whistles are an item in Super Mario Bros 3, when used by the player can allow the player to select a world to go to. Kamek in this story, made one for Bowser to summon Petey Piranha.**

**5\. This chapter in general, was to help give the Investigation Team to get more involved, and some of the spotlight as well. This will apply to the members, who weren't as active later on in the future as well. **

**6\. Yukiko referencing the movie Little Shop of Horrors, is due to that movie having a plant monster named Audrey II as the antagonist. Petey Piranha is a plant monster, so it makes sense, why she reference such a thing. **

**7\. Rosalina being referred to as a mother, refers to how she is motherly for the Luma, which she cares for, from her series.**

**8\. Bowser using the Koopa Clown Car originates from his series in certain games, and was also a vehicle, Bowser used to get around in certain cutscenes in Subspace Emissary, from Super Smash Bros Brawl.**

**9\. So yes. The Final Video Smash Bros Presentation shown in December 2015. Corrin from Fire Emblem Fates which will be coming out in the future, and Bayonetta will be joining as future DLC characters. If I decide to incorporate them into the story (significantly or not in general), I will wait till Corrin and Bayonetta are in the game properly, which isn't till some time in February 2016. And yes Cloud is now out, and I could incorporate him as well. Maybe I'll wait till Corrin and Bayonetta is out, before doing so, for Cloud as well.**

**So that's about it for now. As usual, if you have anything you want to say, go for it. I'm open to all thoughts, opinions, criticisms, and etc. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as usual. Till the next chapter!**


	37. Discussion With The Divine

**Well it's been a while but finally glad to get Chapter 37 done. Not the most eventful chapter but glad to finally get it done. Nothing much to say this time. I hope you all are enjoying the story so far. With that all said, I hope you enjoy the next chapter.**

* * *

We now see the Investigation Team along with Marie reunited back at the Langham Place hotel, as they were in the boy's room. Marie went to speak with Elizabeth and Theodore about what happened earlier, while the entire Investigation Team were busy talking, as they all informed Yu of the situation, as he sat on his bed, with a tray that had a hot bowl of New England clam chowder on it, with a metal spoon in it. As soon as they were done telling him everything that happened, he closed his eyes to think of the situation. When he finally opened them up, he decided to say his thoughts on what he just heard.

"This is bad. If we run into Bowser again in the future, he can get hostile with us all again." Yu stated, as the rest of the Investigation Team nodded in agreement. "Yosuke… nice job handling the situation,"

"Thanks partner!" Yosuke happily boasted. "But I do agree. Man that Bowser guy gets mad really easily. I hated dealing with that Petey Piranha monster he sent after us earlier as well."

"At least Petey Piranha didn't chew on you Yosuke! That hurt a lot!" Teddie whined with a pained grimace on his face. Teddie got out of his bear suit, as he stretched himself and was back in his human form. "Thankfully Kanji made me my bear suit finally. Being bit as my beautiful pretty boy self, would have been more painful,"

"Maybe Petey Piranha just likes bear meat," Kanji said to try to brighten the mood while Teddie just sighed from what he heard. "But Yu sempai is right. That Bowser guy is going to be a real pain! Someone should put that guy in his place!"

"Why don't you go fight him than Kanji?" Rise said to taunt Kanji. Kanji just sweated bullets, as the thought of him standing before the large Koopa King, made him feel nervous. "But I do agree he is a big jerk, that's for sure,"

"I don't think any of us should fight him. He's probably turn us all into what happens to a Shadow after I use Agidyne to it," Yukiko spoke, as she imagined Bowser breathing fire on them all, and them all running around with themselves on fire.

"Not to mention, he also stomp us flat, like he did to my soccer ball earlier," Chie whined as she sighed right after. "I really wanted to play earlier, but that big bully turtle had to ruin my soccer ball!"

"We still need to talk to Marie and find out what happened exactly, that made Bowser become hostile with us," Naoto noted calmly. "Though seeing the type of actions and disposition, the Koopa King has displayed so far, he is still someone we should be cautious around, if we encounter him again in the future. Yu sempai, it's best we alert the SEES members of what happened to us earlier today, as soon as possible, to let them know to be more wary of that king,"

Yu nodded with what he heard, as he took out his cellphone and began to dial for Minato's cellphone number. We now go back to see Minato and the other members of SEES in their personal conference room, as Minato was going over the various new things the others researched, while he was gone. They had learned of many other items, Assist Trophies, and so on, with all the knowledge they were now allowed access too. The group as a whole had learned of many interesting fighters besides the ones they knew about before.

Fighters like a 2D man who fought with an odd assortment of tools and devices, one would have from many odd jobs, a blue hedgehog who was known as the fastest thing alive, a living yellow ball like creature with legs and arms that had a huge appetite, a short guy who wore a spacesuit and worked with cute little plant like alien creatures, a gorilla that wore a red tie that Little Mac had a boxing match with in his past, a humanoid vulpine that was the leader of his own mercenary unit named Star Fox, an intergalactic bounty hunter who sometimes fought without her armored suit, and so on and so forth. Needless to say it was a wide range of different and diverse fighters from many different worlds.

"Man all these different fighters." Akihiko said in astonishment. "Definitely a bigger tournament then both the P-1 Tournament and P-1 Climax… I did spar against Little Mac... maybe-"

"You sound like you might want to fight all these other fighters Akihiko sempai," Junpei teased, while Akihiko went into a thinking position while Mitsuru just sighed. "Personally for the record, I really rather not fight anyone, and just continue chilling and helping my buddy Minato out!"

"Well besides doing that Home Run Contest stuff with Ike," Yukari said, as Junpei just grinned from hearing that. "We've all grown to know some people in this tower in general. Target Test with Pit and Dark Pit is pretty fun,"

"Rob and Mega Man have been great companions during my time here as well for myself personally," Aigis said with a smile. Koromaru barked as he decided to input his thoughts. "And Koromaru has gotten along with the duo of Doggie and Ducky as well,"

"Fencing with Marth and Lucina has been enjoyable," Mitsuru said with a smirk. "Those two are also very pleasant to talk too as well,"

"Tch. My experience has been more of a hassle in comparison to yours. King Dedede is always asking me to cook stuff for him," Shinjiro whined as he sighed, and placed both his hands on his back. "But I'm glad the guy likes my food at least."

"Shinjiro-san also cooks for King Dedede's Waddle Dees as well!" Ken said while Shinjiro just placed a cap over his face, as that made him feel embarrassed, to have said out loud.

"That's very nice Shinjiro sempai. All those Waddle Dees must love your cooking," Fuuka said with a smile, as the imagery of the cute Waddle Dees enjoying Shinjiro's cooking, made her feel happy. "How's socializing with Bowser Jr. going Ken-kun?"

"Great! He let me try piloting his Junior Clown Car recently!" Ken sad with a big grin on his face. "Junior can be a friendly guy when he's hanging out with someone,"

"I wish I could say the same about Bowser Senior," Yukari said with an annoyed sigh. "I still can't believe he burned Minato's Evoker to ashes."

"That jerk! If he wasn't so big… and intimidating, I give him a piece of my mind!" Junpei said bravely trying to put on a brave face, but the thought of him dealing with Bowser, made him cringe with nervousness.

"If you wish to do such a thing Iori, he also lives in this tower as well if you want to see him," Mitsuru pointed out and said with a slight lighthearted smirk, while Junpei's face twitched out from what he heard. "I jest regarding confronting him. King Bowser is someone we shouldn't engage, unless it is absolutely necessary for whatever purpose,"

Before anyone else could say anything more on the situation, they all heard a cellphone begin to ring. Minato took out his cellphone, and saw the caller ID belonged to Yu's number. He opened his cellphone up and placed it near his ears with his right hand, as he answered the call.

"Hello? What is it Yu?" Minato asked. Yu began to inform Minato about everything that occurred to them earlier, while Minato could feel his left hand slowly curling into a fist, as he was starting to get sick and tired of a certain villain who liked to cause trouble. When Yu was done talking, Minato's face wore a scowl that was visible to the other SEES members, making them concerned. "Alright. I'll keep it in mind. Thanks and feel better Yu,"

"Are you alright Minato?" Fuuka asked concerned. Minato shook his head for a no, as he was not trying to feel angry at the villainous fighter. It didn't help that the Koopa King burned his previous Evoker in the past.

"Bowser sent one of his monster minions after the Investigation Team members earlier today," Minato answered bluntly. The others had mixed reactions hearing that, with some looking angry, and some looking concerned. "They managed to handle the situation but… I'm definitely not happy he did that,"

The others remained silent, as none of them were sure what to say. The atmosphere in the room became uncomfortable, as the silence kept going on. Minato sighed as he decided to leave the room. Fuuka looked towards the others and excused herself. They nodded towards her, as she got up from her chair and left the room, as Minato was seen in front of his door, about to go in, till Fuuka called out to him.

"Minato-kun… do you want to talk about it?" Fuuka asked, wanting to make sure Minato was alright. Minato turned around and tried to smile, but ended up frowning. Fuuka seeing this, gave him a hug, as he sighed.

"I don't like it when people sic a monster to those close to me," Minato said a bit tiredly, as they both walked into his room and sat on his bed. "The fact he did it to them really pisses me off,"

"I understand Minato. Bowser doing that to our friends makes me feel bad as well," Fuuka said sadly. "But I don't know if we should confront him about it now… or at all,"

"To be honest, I don't think we should either but it's just… that guy," Minato replied in frustration. The Koopa King definitely knew how to push his buttons, and that was someone who didn't even want Minato in the competition. "I guess for now we'll not try to get involved with him. It's just like Mitsuru said, we shouldn't unless it's absolutely necessary,"

* * *

Time had passed as the SEES members had decided to focus primarily on learning about the new fighters, the other arenas, and anything in general they were now allowed to learn about. They had checked out some other arenas as well, which ranged from relatively normal (fighting in what was an arena based of Ms. Fit's fitness gym,) to absolutely crazy (to fighting in an arena, where new obstacles and platforms were constantly being drawn and erased during a match). They also began to meet and socialize with the fighters they hadn't met yet, and it was quite the experience meeting many of the other fighters. They also made sure to actively avoid the presence of Bowser, as they wanted to not deal with the Koopa King due to what had happened before. The Investigation Team in the meantime had made sure to keep to themselves and not in public more, as they wanted to avoid running into the Koopa King like last time. Teddie finally made his bear claws, they found out from Marie what happened, to want to make Bowser to send a plant monster after them, and they trained themselves more in the meantime, in case they had to get ready to fight more in the future.

Even more time had passed and it was now October 1st, 2015. Autumn was dawning upon the landscape, as many leaves began to change their color from green to shades of red, orange, brown, and yellow. The weather was now starting to cool up even more, compared to the month of September, as people began to dress a bit more as the winds loved to blow the cool air around. Beforehand, Minato had tried to see if the chairmen would be busy and available, but they still were preoccupied with something. Rosalina, Palutena, and Shulk were still unavailable, and Pit wasn't ready to speak with Minato apparently, despite his physical injuries being healed. The angel seemed to want to avoid Minato lately for some reason. It was now 12PM that day as Minato and Fuuka were both sitting at their conference room. The others have went off, trying to see the other fighters more, while the two just wanted a quiet moment to themselves. Suddenly, the door to their conference room was being knocked on.

"I'll get it," Minato said quietly, as he walked over to it and opened it. At the door was Isabelle and Dillon, both familiar friends they knew. Dillon nodded towards Minato and Fuuka, who both smiled back, while Isabelle walked to each one and gave a warm hug. They both noted that Dillon seemed to be carrying a note of some sort that was on a cyan piece of stationary with very clean penmanship written in black ink.

"Happy first day of October!" Isabelle happily said with joy, while Dillon rolled his eyes but smiled, but kept silent as usual. "I can't wait for Halloween at the end of the month!"

"You sound very excited Isabelle," Fuuka said with a big grin, which Isabelle responded with her own smile. "How are you two doing?"

"I'm fine. Helping out in matches as usual. Same for Dillon." Isabelle said. "Actually besides seeing how you were, we're also here to deliver a note,"

Dillon calmly handed Minato the note as Minato overlooked it. He then nodded towards Dillion, with a smirk. The cowboy armadillo and the doggy secretary soon left the room, as Minato went to show Fuuka the note.

"Dear Minato &amp; Fuuka. This is Rosalina. I apologize in advance if you two needed to see me. I heard from Pit when I came back earlier this morning, as he informed me that you two wished to speak with me. I did say, along with my good friend Palutena, I did wish to speak with you two as I stated in the past. Just know that I am now available on my floor, if you ever wish to see me at the time being. From Rosalina," Minato read out loud.

"We can finally speak with Rosalina," Fuuka said, as Minato nodded towards her. "I guess we should go see her now,"

The two soon found themselves on the floor that housed the room that belonged to Rosalina. While there, they looked around and saw the doors that led to the rooms that belonged to some other fighters, from her world as well. Two that belonged to a brotherly duo of plumbers, one that belonged to a pink wearing princess, and two separate ones that belonged to a mischievous father and son. They soon found the door that belonged to Rosalina, and knocked on it. Soon it opened, and they were greeted by the presence of the tall blonde haired women, who smiled warmly at seeing them.

"I see you two have received my message. Please come in, and make yourselves feel comfortable, as if this were your own rooms," Rosalina said gently as they stepped in. They saw that the walls, and the ceiling had purple starry wallpaper, a queen sized bed with purple starry curtains around it, purple starry blankets, and white pillows. The flooring was made of white marble stone, and was covered with a royal red carpet with golden edges. She also had other things one might see in a bedroom, like a dresser, couches, coffee tables, etc. Both Fuuka and Minato sat down on a couch, while Rosalina sat on the one across from her.

"Ah. I just realized, I'm a bit parched and famished. I'll call for refreshments from room service. Would you two like anything as well?" Rosalina asked kindly, as she used her magical star shaped wand, to make her cyan colored cellphone appear. She stepped out of the room to make her call, as both Minato and Fuuka looked around. Soon Rosalina came back to the room and sat down on her couch. "Now that's out of the way, I wished to discuss certain things with you two, if you don't mind,"

"Not at all. We wouldn't be here if we minded," Minato replied back as Rosalina nodded in response. "What do you wish to speak with us about?'

"Well I should first start with how Palutena came to me, to discuss you two, when I saw her recently last month," Rosalina said. Before she could continue, knocks upon her door were heard.

"Room service is that fast today?" Fuuka questioned, as Rosalina got up once more to open it. However, instead of it being employees who worked in the building, it was someone they didn't expect to see. "Ms. Palutena! You're back from your home world!"

Palutena flashed a warm and confident smile towards Minato and Fuuka, as she then gave Rosalina a quick hug and entered the room, and the two adults sat down on the couch across from them.

"Good to see you two! I came back pretty recently as well, so it's pretty convenient timing today, to say the least for us all," Palutena said with a smile. "Before I and Rosie get to discussing what we wanted to talk about with you two, anything new from you guys?"

"Bowser is a problem," Minato said bluntly, with his facial expressions being one of annoyance. Fuuka nodded in agreement while both Palutena and Rosalina turned to each and sighed, as they agreed with that sentiment. "The guy personally burns something that belongs to me into ashes, and more recently sent out one of his monster minions after some of my friends,"

"He and some other fighters do like to cause trouble for others unfortunately at times here," Rosalina said, as she recalled the times that Bowser had tried to attack her Comet Observatory back home in the past. "I've personally had my personal encounters with him as well, from my home world in hostile manners before,"

"Oh dear. Well he's certainly a handful, from the time I've spent here that's for sure. I remember one time he broke a vending machine in a hallway, because it ran out of the snacks he wanted," Palutena said with a mused expression, as she recalled seeing Bowser banging the vending machine repeatedly, and whining like a child. Palutena simply sighed at the memory and wondered why the Koopa King acted like more of a child, compared to his youngest son sometimes. "Bowser is definitely a big troublemaker that's for sure. I'll go give that big monster turtle a piece of my mind later for you guys!"

"Palutena that's not needed," Minato said, as Palutena's face became confused. "We don't necessarily want that. Pit confronted him last month like that and he and Bowser got into a scuffle. They both gave each some injuries and-"

"**WHAT!? THAT BIG JERK! NOBODY TREATS PIT LIKE THAT UNLESS I SAY SO! WHEN I SEE HIM NEXT TIME I'M SO GIVING HIM A NASTY GLARE AND A LECTURE AND**-" Palutena yelled out looking annoyed as she kept going and going, while Minato and Fuuka just sighed.

"Please calm down Palutena," Rosalina said calmly. Palutena closed her mouth, but she was heard verbally mumbling things in her mouth angrily. She herself was a bit immature at times admittedly when it came to acting out. She eventually began to speak out some words.

"Calming down… just remember the deep breathing lessons you took that Fitty taught you…" Palutena mumbled to herself as she began to take deep breaths, while Rosalina heard knocks to her door. She got up once more to open and saw employees outside have arrived with the snacks she ordered. She paid and tipped them, and pushed in the trey that held various plates holding various snacks. Cookies, cupcakes, macaroons, and other sweet treats. A huge teapot was also present, filled to the brim with hot brewed tea. Rosalina using her wand, summoned four cyan porcelain plates along with four cyan porcelain tea cups, as she poured each cup a hot cup of tea.

"Thank you Rosalina," Minato said, as he and the other three individuals in the room each took a plate and filled it with whatever snacks they wanted at the moment, and their own tea cup. "I'm just saying Bowser is a potential problem to me and my friends, for future reference. But enough about that guy. I want to know what you were going to say before Palutena entered the room,"

"Duly noted." Rosalina said softly, as she took a sip from her porcelain tea cup as Palutena found herself calming down, even though she had a mental image of herself using her Final Smash on Bowser and sending the monstrous turtle blasted away. "Well Palutena came to inform me of you and your companions somewhat recently. She told me of the many struggles you all faced in your world, and a bit of introductory info each for you and your companions. She also told me… she felt concerned about you two for some reasons,"

"It's just… the circumstances behind Minato trying to joining this tournament… just seemed very peculiar," Palutena said in a concerned tone, as she took a bite out of a small macaroon. She then drank some tea, to help wash what she tasted down. "I mean… the rest of us when we joined had to simply sign a contract. I don't understand why you are being… tested to join this competition,"

Minato and Fuuka looked towards each other. This was something they debated among each other and with the other members of SEES. They nodded towards each other, as they felt Palutena and Rosalina were trustworthy individuals to share the following information about.

"Here's the deal… and I'm sure you two would keep anything we say between us all in this discussion between us," Minato said, as both Palutena and Rosalina nodded towards the blue haired boy. "I'm not really… fighting to be a part of this competition,"

"What are you fighting for exactly?" Rosalina said with a very calm but somewhat confused expression, while Palutena looked flat out shocked in comparison.

"Minato is fighting for the exact opposite." Fuuka said, while both Rosalina and Palutena looked confused by that statement. "He's fighting, so he can choose to not be a part of this competition,"

Rosalina and Palutena went silent. Rosalina closed her eyes as she went over what she just heard, while Palutena placed her right hand under her chin, as she went into a thinking position. Rosalina then opened her eyes, calmly drank some tea, and then smile.

"There is nothing wrong with that," Rosalina said gently. Minato and Fuuka were thankful that she took it well. Palutena shrugged not seeing it as a big deal.

"But that begs the question… you weren't allowed to simply not participate?" Palutena asked, as she ate a macaroon and drank more tea. "I figure The Master would allow fighters whether if they wanted to join or not,"

"That guy really wants me to join. If I had lost to any of my opponents from my orders, I would have already been made an official member," Minato explained. Palutena wondered if the conversation they were having right now, would have occurred if she and Bowser Jr. won their match against Minato and Ken in the past.

"So you're being given the chance to not be forced into this competition, if I am to understand this correctly?" Rosalina asked, as both Minato and Fuuka nodded. "I see. Am I to also understand you have also completed all eight of your orders, from the information I have heard in general?"

"Yes. All that awaits me, is to fight The Master himself. On December 30th this year, I challenge him and if I beat him, I get my choice to join or not. If I lose, I join this competition, and nothing more," Minato explained as both Rosalina and Palutena took this information in. The room went silent as the four quietly drank their tea, and occasionally bit into a snack. Palutena then decided to speak her mind.

"While I do respect your decision as I do believe anyone should decide for themselves… what they want to do… why do you not want to be part of this competition Minato?" Palutena asked.

The room fell deathly silent even more. Even Fuuka was unsure why Minato still remained silent on this subject. Palutena felt like she regretted asking that question as she can see that Minato was still not going to discuss that subject.

"I'm sorry. I don't think I feel comfortable discussing it now," Minato said, as he knew that Fuuka was in the room, and it was something he wanted to discuss when she wasn't with him. Rosalina coughed a bit, to clear the air as she decided to ask a question, to hopefully break the awkward silence.

"Do you like your time here so far?" Rosalina asked. Both Minato and Fuuka nodded. "I see. This world does bring a lot of interesting individuals from many worlds together. I'm sure you two along with your other companions have had many interesting experiences here. I remember the first time I met many of the others… it was quite the experience,"

"You're telling me Rosie! I remember your reaction to seeing Mr. Game &amp; Watch for the first time." Palutena teased as Rosalina just sighed. "You were wondering if his whole universe was just like him,"

"And it was," Rosalina said, as she remembered learning about the two dimensional fighter and the world he was from. "But getting back on topic… the universe is full of many surprising things. Change is always happening. Whatever ends up happening, is something that happens for whatever reason."

"What do you mean, Ms. Rosalina?" Fuuka asked, while Rosalina took a bite out of a sugar cookie, and she then took a sip of more tea before continuing on. Palutena meanwhile went back to thinking back deep in thought as she suddenly remembered someone, that she was concerned about if he did find out.

We now go back earlier to that day's morning as we see Palutena holding some travel bags, in front of a room that belonged to her. As she placed the travel bags on the ground, an was about to open the door that belonged to her she heard a certain angel calling out for her.

"**LADY PALUTENA!**" Pit yelled out in excitement as he rushed up to the goddess to hug her. Palutena smiled and hugged the angel back in return. "How are you? How was the trip?"

"I'm fine Pit. As for the trip, it was the usual. I had some meetings with Viridi on why killing all the humans are bad, how I'll try to make more of an active effort to get them to recycle and clean up more back in our universe, and no trouble from the Underworld still due to you defeating Hades and all. Everything and everyone back home seemed alright. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine Lady Palutena. Same as usual," Pit said with a big happy grin.

"That's good. How's Minato and the others doing? I know you love to hang out with them," Palutena asked with a smile. Pit immediately cringed and frowned, then immediately had his face form a fake smile, to hide his sadness. Palutena had already noticed Pit's expression, but chose to remain silent.

"We're fine. They're fine," Pit said softly, trying to sound happily. "Well I gotta go. I'm having breakfast with Pittoo and Junior. See you later Lady Palutena,"

Palutena waved bye to the angel, as he walked away. Palutena herself then felt concerned for the angel, as she noticed the way he acted earlier when Minato was brought up. We now go back to Rosalina's room as the green haired goddess was recalling this now, while Rosalina continued discussing on.

"I mean… whatever the result is, it is one he will have to accept… whatever it is. I'm not against Minato in his personal endeavor. In fact, I support his choice to fight for what he believes to be what's best for himself. I'm just saying he should be prepared for all the possible results that can arise. The universe is never predictable and ever changing. Especially one as fleeting as this one, as you have seen," Rosalina explained.

"You must be used to such things, considering your position in your world," Minato said as Rosalina smiled softly at what she heard. "You being the one who watches the cosmos from her world,"

"Yes. I see you have done your research," Rosalina said as she poured herself a new cup of tea and took another sugar cookie to bite.

"We also learned that you mother creatures called the Luma?" Fuuka asked as Rosalina nodded. "You fight with them in your matches here?"

"Yes. Also I'll say the reason why there aren't any of them here with me at the moment if you're curious, I let them play with Olimar's Pikmin and let them enjoy themselves," Rosalina answered.

"That guy is another interesting individual. Very interesting," Minato said as he recalled himself and the rest of SEES meeting the explorer who worked in tandem with the cute small plant creatures known as the Pikmin. "This tournament is full of interesting individuals in general,"

"Ms. Palutena," Fuuka suddenly spoke, as Palutena who was still deep in thought suddenly snapped out of it, as she turned towards Fuuka. "Are you okay? You seem to be really contemplative about something,"

"Well… I was just concerned about Pit," Palutena spoke seriously, as the other three in the room looked towards her. "He really likes being with you two. He considers you two really close friends of his along with the others from your group. I'm worried how he'll take the news if he finds out… when he finds out about what you've been really fighting for," Palutena stated.

"I do plan to talk to him. I just plan to talk to some other people before him, before I talk to him," Minato said. "And don't worry. He's a good friend to both of us as well,"

"Just be gentle with how you break the news. Pit's a sensitive soul," Palutena said with a sad smile, as both Minato and Fuuka nodded. The atmosphere in the room once again became dreary as the four quietly ate and drank.

We go to a different part of Smash Tower as we see Bowser, who was now back to tip top shape, in a fitness training room, as he was currently punching at Sandbag with his fists. He was slamming his fist into the Sandbag and was keeping at it. The doors to the room opened and the Koopa King stopped to see who it was.

"Oh hey Dedede. What's up?" Bowser asked, as he then resumed punching Sandbag. Dedede looked very excited as he had an excited grin upon his face, as the big penguin walked towards where Bowser was.

"I heard a really interesting rumor, if you're interested in hearing it," King Dedede said with excitement. Bowser stopped punching Sandbag once more as he decided to listen with full attention. "I got some of my Waddle Dees to snoop around the tower and… let's just say those chairmen bozos are ready to start selling the Amiibos really soon,"

"Really?" Bowser said with an arrogant grin as his sharp teeth shined. King Dedede nodded and Bowser laughed evilly. "Awesome! I can't wait till my Amiibo is the most sold!"

"Dehehehe! You know more people will buy more Amiibos of me!" Dedede boasted with his own smirk, as both kings sneered at each other with friendly competitive glances, as they boasted whose figure would be sold more.

"I just wonder what made them finally ready to start selling Amiibos. They've been making those darn things for a while," Bowser questioned. "Oh well. As long as my Amiibo… and Juinor's Amiibo sells well, then I don't care really,"

"Well I hope mine sells well. More than Kirby at the very least. I don't mind if Meta Knight's sells more than mine… he is pretty cool," Dedede replied while Bowser rolled his eyes.

"That reminds me. Mario and his cowardly brother are going to get Amiibos too. Hmph! Stupid plumbers will probably look stupid in their Amiibos," Bowser grumbled under his breath. Before both kings could whine more, the fitness room's intercom system (every room for the most part in Smash Tower had one) suddenly turned on, causing both to stop talking.

"Attention all Smash Bros fighters present in Smash Tower. Head to the Smash Theater as soon as possible. Repeat, attention all Smash Bros fighters present in Smash Tower. Head to the Smash Theater as soon as possible," announced a voice that belonged to a female public announcer.

"I wonder why they want us all in the darn theater right now?" Dedede questioned out loud, as he went into a thinking position. Bowser however looked annoyed as he began to leave the room.

"Come on, let's go see what's up. This better not be a waste of my time," Bowser grumbled as Dedede walked after the other king. We now switch scenes back to Rosalina's room a bit earlier, just after that announcement finished. Everyone looked a bit puzzled, as they held their tea cups.

"Hmm. I wasn't expecting anything like this at the moment. I guess myself and Palutena should get going," Rosalina said, as she placed her tea cup back onto the table. "I feel we have covered with what we wanted to speak with you. If you both have any further questions, we always have the future to discuss more. It was nice having you two over in my room,"

"Don't worry Ms. Rosalina. We appreciate everything." Fuuka said, as herself and Minato got up, to shake hands with the other two.

"Good luck to you two." Palutena said, as she went gave them both a warm hug. Rosalina soon followed, as she gave both Minato and Fuuka her own hug as well. "With whatever choices you end up making in the end,"

The four left the room, as Rosalina closed the door to it. Both Palutena and Rosalina headed off to where they needed to go while Minato and Fuuka were now in the hallway, and decided to talk with each other.

"Well I was going to see Shulk and Pit after we were done with our discussion with Rosalina and Palutena, but looks like those two will be busy along with the other fighters," Minato mused out loud.

"They have to report to something at the Smashing Theater. I heard when the returning fighters along with Ryu were announced, they were all watching from there," Fuuka said, while Minato smirked.

"Possibly more fighters joining or rejoining? Maybe. We'll have to wait and see," Minato said as he and Fuuka decided to head back to their floor and meet with the other SEES members.

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

**So what did you guys think? Notes as always.  
**

**1\. Next chapter we will finally see the addition of the remaining DLC characters into the story. Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII, Corrin from Fire Emblem: Fates, and Bayonetta from her series which is also named after her. As for whether or not they will play a significant role is something to still be determined, but they will be part of the cast to work with as well possibly from now on, along with the remaining characters who have yet to not play a role (or a significant role at the very least).**

**2\. So at this point, SEES (as well as the Investigation Team) are aware of all the current fighters at this point in the story. No more introductions will be needed to help keep the pace of the story going faster (as to not constantly have introductions for every single fighter who hasn't shown up yet, should they appear). They're all informed as someone who decided to spend a day reading up everything and everyone in Smash Bros (to an extent, as certain things like Master Hand and Crazy Hand are still things they don't really know about). Something to keep in mind, I may change my mind with regards to this, for certain characters depending on the circumstances, but for now this is a general note to take in.  
**

**That's it for now. As usual if you have any criticisms, opinions, comments, etc, you want to say, go for it. Otherwise I hope you're all enjoying this story so far and I hope you enjoyed this chapter, even if it wasn't that eventful. Till the next chapter.**


	38. Plans For October

**It's been a while but finally glad to get another chapter done. So glad about hat! As usual, I'll address the review from the previous chapter before moving on.**

**To comment on Dario Flaman comments, well in all honesty, Minato (or any Persona character really) never realistically had a high probability of making it into Super Smash Bros. One game nonetheless as well (Persona Q). Who knows for the future. This is the series where Snake, Sonic, Mega Man, Pac-Man, Ryu, Cloud, and now Bayonetta have been playable at some point. **

**Yosuke can have his moments. Him, along with Kanji, and Teddie handled Petey Piranha fairly well earlier. I'm sure Yu will get better soon.**

**Rosalina and Palutena did indeed find out. Pit will most likely find out at some point. How he reacts remains to be seen. DLC characters are here, though more so to get them out of the way. Maybe I'll use them more possibly later on. As for the mystery, that is still yet to be revealed. **

**I will say this chapter will have some significant notes at the end, for certain things I want to address about the story in general. Besides that, I want to say thank you all for reading still, and I appreciate it very much. As usual, if you have any criticisms, thoughts, opinions, or anything you wish to say in general, feel free to do so, other wise I hope you enjoy this chapter!  
**

* * *

The Smashing Theater was noisy as all the main fighters were inside and now speaking among themselves for why they were here. Normally someone be here if they wanted to partake in seeing a movie, or for the announcement from last month regarding the return of Mewtwo, Lucas, Roy, and the addition of Ryu. Everyone was speculating, as time passed. Silence soon fell upon the room, as they all heard a familiar voice speak to them all.

"Welcome! Glad to see you are all here," spoke the voice of The Master. "Good to see everyone happened to be in the tower when that announcement was made earlier and are now ready to hear what I have to-

"**GET TO THE POINT!"** Bowser yelled out annoyed, as he crossed his arms, while everyone else looked at the Koopa King with mixed reactions. The Master's voice went silent, and he then chuckled for a bit before continuing.

"Very well. I shall get to the point as our heaviest fighter has stated," The Master said in a mused tone, while Dedede poked at his big belly, wondering if Bowser really weighed more than him while Bowser had steam come out from his nostrils from angry annoyance. "To put it simply, I have more fighters planned to join in the near future,"

The room went rampant with noise as speculation and discussion occurred from all over once more. Bowser placed a hand on his face in particular, grumbling about what he just heard. The Master made a coughing sound, to indicate for them all to stay silent.

"Tonight, the news will be alive with this information, as we prepare to tell the media with another press conference," The Master stated. Ryu from the crowd raised his right hand, as he decided to call out his question.

"How many more new fighters are we seeing?" asked Ryu, as the prospect of more new fighters to challenge against in the future, made him excited, as he grew to like fighting the competitors in this competition.

"Three more. Three more fighters will be joining us. I will announce more information later today to the public as well, with the press conference," The Master replied. Speculation went rampant in the room once more, as the fighters speculated whether or not they be more newcomers or returning fighters. Soon The Master coughed for silence once more to continue speaking. "First off, before I continue discussing the additional fighters added I want to get another announcement out the way,"

"Can you get to talking, my stomach is belly aching for food," whined Dedede, as he was tempted to bash the floor with his hammer, like a spoiled child from the hunger he felt.

"I didn't know today was kings are irritable day," The Master mused with an amused tone while Dedede ended up crossing his own arms. "Next month in November, Smash Corp will finally begin to start selling Amiibo,"

Everyone in the room had a wide range of reactions from hearing that. Some got excited, some didn't care, and some weren't fully sure what Amiibo were still.

"Umm… what are Amiibos again, just to make sure?" asked by the shy psychic Lucas, as returning to the tournament, the young boy still had to catch up on information he didn't know about.

"Amiibo are figurines that depict each of you. A collectible for the public to purchase if they so desire." The Master explained.

"My figure is going to sell the best!" Dedede boasted with glee. Everyone else either remained silent, rolled their eyes, or just sighed in response. "You're all just jealous since I'm perfect and my Amiibo will be just as per-"

But before the penguin could say anything more, a blue blur suddenly flashed in front of him, and a fresh pair of white socks that were grabbed from a blue hedgehog's room was stuffed into his beak mouth, as the king looked surprised and then annoyed, while Bowser laughed at what happened.

"Sorry. Your mouth seemed like it could use a break from talking," Sonic said with a smirk, as Dedede was tempted to use his huge hammer right now, on the blue hedgehog, as he grabbed the socks out of his mouth and threw it to the ground angrily. Before anything could happen, The Master began to speak once more, causing Dedede to stand down.

"Back to the announcements. When I plan to reveal the newcomers will be tomorrow night. Whether they be familiar veterans, or even more newcomers, is something you will all plan on waiting for. I plan to have this announcement made public later on today." The Master stated.

"Tomorrow night? We'll be seeing these guys pretty soon then," Falco remarked, as everyone was curious to see who was joining.

"Now I have one final announcement I wish to address before I let you all depart… I'm sure you are all now currently aware of the blue haired teenager and his companions who live in this tower now," The Master said as everyone went absolutely silent as they heard this."He is a potential newcomer joining in the future for those familiar with him. He and his companions will still be living here for the time being."

"Can you explain more about that guy? I'm still very curious to know more about him," asked Robin.

"If you wish to learn more about that potential newcomer, you may come see me myself if I wish to divulge such info if I feel like doing so. Otherwise, you may find out what you want from that person himself and his companions. That is all for now. I advise paying attention to the news channels tonight for more information," The Master said, before his voice went silent.

Chatter erupted about the blue haired teenager, as the blue haired teenager and his companions was still somewhat of an enigma to most of them, while some went silent for various reasons, and some began to leave the room, from what they have seen. For those who have been directly familiar with the boy they had a wide mixed of reactions. Pit in particular cringed, which Palutena and Dark Pit who were nearby noticed his reaction, felt more concerned. Bowser gritted his sharp teeth angrily as he bared his fists, as he was just reminded that Minato was yet another potential newcomer who can join still, while Junior wondered if Minato was free to play later, as he saw him and Ken regularly. Dedede noticed that Bowser was looking angry, and smiled in a cheeky way, as he got nervous around Bowser when he was like this.

"You okay Bowser? You're looking pretty mad," Dedede said with a bit of chatter in his teeth.

"Stinking Blue Mint! No way am I letting some fourth punk get in after these three chumps show up!" Bowser grumbled to Dedede as he felt like punching something, as he noticed Bowser was tightening his fists even more. Dedede had sweat drip down from his face, as he got panicky when Bowser wanted to vent. He then saw Dark Pit and smirked, as he decided to change the subject. Luckily for Dark Pit, Lucina had already left the room, before Dedede shouted the following.

"Hey Dark Pit! You get with Lucy girl yet!?" Dedede yelled out with a big arrogant smirk as Dedede laughed with glee right after, as Dark Pit froze in place with sweat falling down his face. Palutena lightly chuckled, Pit frowned, as he was reminded of his bet with Bowser and realized he had to work on it, while some other fighters who remained in the room either smiled or frowned at what Dedede just shouted out. Bowser dropped his anger thinking about Minato joining, as he joined Dedede laughing at what he just heard and saw.

"Keep to your own business you fat bird!" Dark Pit angrily shouted with a fierce glare, while both Dedede and Bowser evilly laughed, as they both left the room, still laughing. Dark Pit just gritted his teeth from frustration while Pit decided to comfort the dark angel.

"Hey Pittoo. Don't let Dedede ruffle your feathers like that," Pit said as he walked over to his counterpart. Dark Pit folded his arms and sighed.

"I don't need your advice and especially with someone who is still friends with that fat bird. I can take care of myself thank you very much," Dark Pit said in a matter of fact like manner.

"Well I'm just saying. You liking Lucina is that obvious to a lot of people, so I'm just saying, if you need advice or anything," Pit offered. Dark Pit rolled his eyes from what he heard. Everyone else soon left the large room, as Dark Pit and his good nature counterpart were the only ones left. Dark Pit then responded then.

"Me? Taking advice from you? I rather be in a match where all my opponents gang up on me, then do that," Dark Pit replied. "You aren't Cupid, even if you tried to be back on Valentine's Day."

"Hey. I did make a certain couple's night very passionate for Valentine's Day earlier this year," Pit said with a very cheeky grin, while Dark Pit's face looked very embarrassed from hearing that, as his face blushed a ton.

"Anyway! I don't see myself coming to you with help about her, so that's that!" Dark Pit said out quickly as he felt his face heating up from being reminded of such a thing still. Pit just sighed and began to wonder if he should have made that bet with Bowser. "Look… Pit I appreciate it, but I can handle it."

"Alright, but just know I'm here for you Pittoo. If not me, anyone else you feel like asking advice about it," Pit said as he walked away, as he decided to leave Dark Pit alone. However it did give Dark Pit his own ideas, as he waited till Pit was out of earshot. "Maybe… I should ask other people privately for this kind of advice. Maybe,"

* * *

We now go back to see the SEES members back in their conference room as they all decided to reconvene after Minato and Fuuka caught up with them. They were all just calmly discussing various things till someone knocked onto their door.

"I'll get it," Akihiko said as he got up, and walked towards the door. He opened it and, in came rushing in Bowser Jr., who knocked down Akihiko along the way. Koromaru walked up to the small Koopa and gave him a friendly bark as he allowed to be petted by the small prince. Akihiko, with an annoyed look picked himself off the ground as he just sighed.

"Hey! I want to play with you guys! I need some excitement after that boring meeting with Mr. Master," Bowser Jr. said as he took it upon himself to sit in Akihiko's chair. Akihiko just stood nearby Shinjiro, as the young prince spun around in it, before settling down.

"What was talked about in the meeting Junior?" Ken asked, as Koromaru went to sit near the prince, as Junior continued to pet the Shiba Inu dog. "Actually, are you even allowed to talk about it, at all with us?"

"Well… Mr. Master didn't say anything if we fighters could talk about it with you guys, so I guess it's alright. Even if he did, I like breaking the rules anyway if that was the case!" Bowser Jr. proudly proclaimed. "He said we're getting three more fighters joining next Friday!"

"Go figure," Minato said calmly, as it was just as he speculated. "I wonder who will be joining, or rejoining come next Friday?"

"Three more fighters… they can either be more returning ones like Metwo, Lucas, or Roy… or three more newcomers like how Ryu was," Fuuka stated.

"Either way, I'll beat them with my Junior Clown Car when I face them in my matches with them eventually!" Bowser Jr. boasted, while Minato just smirked at Junior's confidence, happy the young child was full of confidence. "Anyway, they said they'll announce more details tonight. We can play till then!"

"What do you want to play Junior?" Fuuka, said as the young prince went into thought. He then had an idea, as he raised his hands in excitement.

"Monopoly! Everyone always says it takes too long but I don't mind!" Bowser Jr. said. Some of the members of SEES cringed as it seemed this board game that took ridiculously long to play, was a constant, even in this reality. Some then decided to take their leave as well.

"Oh look at the time, I got to go spar with Little Mac at the gym today! See you all later," Akihiko said.

"Hey Aki! Don't forget me! You said I could watch!" Shinjiro fibbed, as he soon followed right after.

"It is my turn to take Koromaru for a walk," Aigis said, though her statement was actually truthful, as she went to get a leash from her room, with Koromaru following. "Do anyone wish to come with?"

"I suppose some time at the indoor park be sufficient for a change of pace," Mitsuru said as she walked after Aigis. The only ones left were Minato, Fuuka, Junpei, Yukari, Ken, and Bowser Jr. in the room as the prince looked at them all with a puffy haughty face, that frowned a bit. The remaining SEES members sighed, but figured they might as well.

"Well we have to wait till later tonight anyway for more news about those new fighters. We can pass the time playing Monopoly I guess," Yukari said nonchalantly.

"Let's order food service!" Junpei proclaimed. "I hear today they have a discount on seafood dishes,"

They all smiled to that, as the remaining people in the room decided to stay while Bowser Jr. rushed back to his room on his floor, to grab the board game, for them to begin.

* * *

While that was happening we see King Dedede, back in his room eating lunch on a table as the portly penguin was happily stuffing himself with fried catfish, grilled shrimp, crab cakes, and was washing it down with a big soda float.

"This food is so good! Great to wash away the taste of socks. Darn that blue hedgehog stuffing his socks into my mouth! I should make sure to hammer him good, the next time I see him," Dedede mumbled to himself as he stuffed his mouth. The king's personal cellphone then just rang nearby, as it was on the king's bed. Dedede looked annoyed as he stopped briefly to look at the ringing cellphone. He quickly swallowed any seafood currently in his mouth and snapped his fingers, as one of his Waddle Dee servants went to go grab his cellphone, and placed it on his dining table. He saw the caller ID and rolled his eyes, as he went to answer it.

"Your majesty! How are you doing?" asked a certain faithful servant of King Dedede known as Escargoon. An anthropomorphic lavender snail, that wore a dark green shell, had green eyes, a light green goatee and four square teeth with two on the bottom of his mouth and two on the top of his mouth. He was currently in the throne room in Castle Dedede, as he was overseeing Waddle Dees nearby, who held brooms, who were cleaning the throne room, while their king was gone.

"Why do you always got to be calling at the worst times Escargoon? What do you want?" Dedede said back.

"Just wanted to check up on his majesty, seeing how you're still not back home and all. How's beating people up with your hammer legally going? Or are you being beat up by other people still," Escargoon teased.

"Hey! I'm the one doing the beating up of course! Anyway I'm just fine. Dedede replied annoyed.

"Well just wanted to check up on you sire. By the way, do you plan to go back home for Halloween? We can do some scams to swindle candy out of the villagers like you tried in the past," Escargoon suggested, as he and King Dedede did like to cause trouble, time to time.

"Till Kirby likes to show up and ruin my fun with those two brats he hangs out with!" Dedede whined. "Nah. I'll probably stay and celebrate Halloween this year here."

"Any plans for Halloween there then?" Escargoon asked. Dedede then went into thought, as he realized he didn't think that far ahead.

"Hmmm… no not really. I usually go trick or treating with the other fighters to get candy when I celebrate here and costume parties and such," Dedede said. "I could go for something different this year here,"

"Like what your majesty?" Escargoon asked. Dedede went deep into thought, as he tried to think of what people did on Halloween besides trick or treating or costume parties.

"Like dress up a lot... or watch scary movies… and maybe go to haunted places… wait a minute!" Dedede said as he had a mischievous idea in mind, as he grinned with an impish smile. "I'll talk to you later Escargoon!"

With that said, he hung up his cellphone, as the Waddle Dee servants in the room looked at their king curiously, as the king quickly finished up the remainder of his lunch, and went to a clean table, and went to go get a pencil and what appeared to be a big empty blueprint.

"Dehehehehehe! As soon as I'm done with this blueprint, I'll get Bowser in on this too!" Dedede proudly proclaimed, as he continued to work on something, as he continued to use the pencil.

* * *

We now fast forward to night to SEES's conference room, as the SEES members that were in the room with Bowser Jr. were cleaning up the board game, as Bowser Jr. had to leave for a match all of a sudden. It was evening and almost 6PM when the evening news would begin soon,"

"Man. I was so close to winning. If Yuka-tan landed on Boardwalk or Park Place," Junpei bemoaned, as he had managed to acquire those two properties and had manages to get some houses on it. Everyone else playing had went bankrupt, and he was in the lead.

"Well we would have finished had Junior trusted us, to not move the board pieces around," Yukari whined. Bowser Jr. had to go for a match he had forgotten about, when he left, and realized he should have picked a shorter board game as well besides to end the game, due to not trusting them to cheat. "Oh well. We should be getting that announcement soon."

"I see you guys are still cleaning up," Shinjiro said, as he along with Akihiko, Mitsuru, Aigis, and Koromaru returned.

"That board game does take way too long to finish," Akihiko said with a sigh, as while he didn't necessarily dislike it, he rather spend his time doing other thing,

"Have they made any announcements regarding the new fighters yet?" Mitsuru asked. The other members of SEES shook their head for a no. "I see. So I guess they might be saving it for the news broadcast on soon or later tonight.

"The news channel is appearing soon. Let's turn the TV on and get ready," Aigis suggested as Koromaru barked in agreement with her. As soon as the board game was done being cleaned up, having all its game pieces put back in. Soon they turned on the television and turned on the news channel, as it soon began.

"Tonight's new begins with Smash Corp preparing another announcement. We now go live to Smash Corp, as their chairmen prepared to release a statement," said the news anchor. The footage then cut to the same conference hall from last time. The eight chairmen were present, and this time, Azure was at the podium instead of Crimson like last time.

"Thank you all for joining us this evening. We are proud to announce that tomorrow we will be holding an event in regards to our current fighting tournament. This event will start at tomorrow evening at 6PM, and will be heldat Central Park, similar to our announcement made in September. Announcements will be made at 7PM," Azure stated very calmly.

"Is that the only thing being announced?" asked one of the reporters.

"No. Next month, we will finally be unveiling a product for the public. A product that some of you may have heard rumors about," Azure stated calmly.

"Do you mean of the rumored… Amiibo products?" another reporter asked with excitement. Azure just smirked as he answered this question back.

"Perhaps. You will all have to wait and see. For any further questions, regarding this product that will have to be saved for a future moment in time." Azure stated as the media tried to prod for more information. The SEES members looked at each other and nodded.

"Tomorrow let's head to Central Park again, and catch the announcement." Minato stated. "In case Yu and his friends didn't see the announcement, I'll contact them right now,"

They all nodded and soon time passed, as both SEES and the Investigation Team agreed to meet up at Central Park as Minato contacted them again. When Minato and Yu spoke, Minato was notified that Yu himself may not go, if he wasn't feeling well enough. We now fast forward to next evening as it was now October 2nd as we check in on Bowser who was in his room, sitting on a large red and black chair, debating whether to head out to Central Park or not.

"I got in trouble last time, but when was I one for caring about the rules?" Bowser mused to himself. It was no wonder where Junior had gotten his rule breaking mindset from, as the Koopa King debated to go or not. He suddenly heard someone knock on the door to his room. "Hmmm? I wonder who that is at the door?"

Bowser got up and went to answer the door, and was knocked over to the groud as King Dedede rushed in, very excited. Bowser was a bit annoyed to be knocked down, but more so confused to see why Dedede was so excited and here at his room currently.

"What's got you all excited?" Bowser asked as he picked himself up.

"I got something I need to show you in my room!" Dedede said eagerly.

"But what about the announcements?" Bowser asked confused. "While I don't particularly care for the fact we got three more chumps joining, I still want to know who they are."

"Oh... well we can watch the announcements in my room, and we can order room service as well and then I'll show you what I was working on after. Come on let's go!" Dedede said eagerly, as Dedede grabbed Bowser and pulled him towards his floor. Bowser shrugged as he was pulled and decided to go along with it, curious to see what Dedede wanted to show him later. We now see a familiar environment, as the park was setup just like last month's announcement event. Both SEES and the Investigation Team (along with Marie this time) were glad to catch up again, as they all got food and drinks, and sat together again at one of the available benches setup.

"Hey guys! What's new with your group?" Ken asked.

"I caught a cold recently, but I'm feeling well enough, to come out tonight," Yu answered with a smile. "How goes everything with you all?"

"Fine. Could be better, could be worse. Sorry to hear about what happened recently to your group, all things considering," Minato answered back.

"Being nearly turned into food for a plant monster does that to you," Yosuke answered with a sigh, as the memory of Petey Piranha, trying to chase after him, made him shudder.

"That Petey Piranha monster right?" Junpei asked, as Yosuke, Kanji, and Teddie nodded back in particular.

"None of you guys would have wanted to deal with it." Kanji added with his own sigh.

"That bad huh?" Shinjiro asked. Teddie who wasn't wearing his bear costume, had a very annoyed expression pop up on his face.

"Take it from me! Being chomped on like some chew toy by that Petey Piranha was extremely unpleasant!" Teddie whined as he had the worst memory of the experience.

"Hopefully that big bully Bowser doesn't show up tonight," Rise said frustrated.

"The last two times we ran into him, something bad ends up happening," Chie said with a sigh.

"Burning Minato's Evoker being the first thing," Mitsuru pointed out.

"And sending out Petey Piranha against us being the second," Yukiko added.

"The next time we see bull face, I suggest we teach him a lesson!" Marie suggested. Everyone else paled, as they shook their heads for a no. "Figures. But I'm glad I get to go out and see more of New York guys,"

"No problem Marie. Just try not to instigate more stuff like last time," Yu said.

"As much as I would like to show that Bowser not to mess with us… that's probably not the best idea," Yukari said.

"Not now at the very least. Perhaps an opportunity will make itself available for us to… punish him accordingly," Aigis suggested, as Koromaru barked in agreement with that idea.

"That won't be necessary. We have decided it's best to avoid King Bowser for now," Naoto answered back. "Getting into unnecessary conflicts would be unwise,"

"Has there been anyone else besides Bowser that gave your group trouble?" Yu asked. The SEES members went to look at each other, and Shinjiro decided to speak up, as someone came to mind

"Well… we kind of had trouble with one other king. A King Dedede to be exact. He's kind of calmed down with us since we first met the guy, but he didn't hesitate to show he can be a jerk towards us as well," Shinjiro explained.

"King Dedede… oh! You mean the fighter that fights with the huge hammer right?" Yukiko asked as she had heard of the fighter from her research, as the SEES members nodded. "Yeah. He's said to be a fairly big troublemaker as well, though not as much as Bowser."

"Well so far he's been nicer to us compared to Bowser, but we managed to stay on his good side better. Plus he's more laid back and carefree compared to Bowser as well," Minato explained.

"A big mean turtle and a big mean penguin," Chie said with a pondering expression. "The animal kingdom truly gets around, for its monarchs,"

"What I want to know is… what are those Amiibo things that reporter brought up?" Marie asked. SEES then realized that the Investigation Team never got to learn about Amiibos.

"They're basically going to be figurines that depict the fighters. Collectibles to sell to the public," Fuuka explained.

"Figures? Interesting. I wonder how popular they'll end up being." Naoto questioned. Before anyone could continue the conversation, they all saw the lights on the same stage, from last month dim, signifying for silence. That same announcer voice finally came on, as it was finally time for the announcements to begin.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boy and girls, of all ages! Tonight we are proud to be announcing additional new information for the current Super Smash Bros Tournament once again! Welcome to another smashing event! Are you all ready for tonight's announcements!?" asked the announcer, as the crowd that gather cheered loudly and happily. "Let's get right to it. This time we're starting off with a fighter! Before we showcase our first fighter, we would like to showcase this trailer that will give off some background information on him. A newcomer who is locked between his decision between his bloodline and his loyalty! Someone who fights for his fate! Let's roll the trailer!"

The stage darkened as the monitor that was setup on stage, just like last time, began to play a video. It began by showing a young women wearing… was it a white dress? A black dress? The video seemed to purposefully flicker between her wearing such dresses as she sang nearby a lake. Words on screen talked about the word "if," quite a bit. If war and hatred could be made gone.

It then cut to show a huge battlefield with two armies facing off against each other. One kingdom known as Nohr which wore old medieval European styled black and purple armor, and the other was the kingdom of Hoshido with their armies dressed in medieval Asian styled red and white armor. Nohr was described as a kingdom that searched for glory, while Hoshido was one of peace.

Then it went onto describe a child that was born to the Hoshido royal family… yet was raised by Nohr royalty. It then showed eight individuals on the huge battlefield, pleading to a young man in the middle of it all. Four from Nohr, and four from Hoshido, as it seemed he would have to decide who he would ultimately have to side with. Before more could be shown the trailer ended as the announcer went back to speaking.

"Welcome the newcomer with the Blood of Dragons! Corrin!" the announcer announced with excitement.

A red spotlight appeared on the stage which was darkened after the video had ended, and focused on one spot. Now we see a young man who wore white and black styled armor, a dark blue cape, was barefoot, black gloves and wielded a golden sword that oddly looked as if it were a chainsaw with such edges surrounding the whole blade, known as the Omega Yato. He had red eyes, pointed ears, silvery white hair, and a rather pretty face, that had a pretty serious expression on it. Many in the crowd had mixed reactions, as a fair amount of them were not familiar with the fighter, but they cheered wildly.

"He has… dragon blood?" Aigis asked curiously, as they all admitted that did stand out somewhat.

"Dragon blood? Can he do something with that? Like turn into a dragon?" Yukiko pondered out loud.

"Dragon blood or not, his sword looks crazy. Looks like someone made a chainsaw sword and it somehow works," Kanji said, rather impressed. Soon the lights on stage darkened again, though Corrin stood at the spot he did, as the announcer continued.

"Next we have another fighter we are ready to showcase. This fighter is a tough soldier who has had quite the journey from the world he is from. Before we showcase him, we shall showcase a new arena that belongs to this fighter," the announcer spoke. The monitor on stage went to showcase a new arena. It looked similar to the Battlefield arena (that SEES finally were allowed to learn about a while back), with a main platform with three overhanging platforms that stayed in the air, yet far from the arena, could be seen a huge building, that was taller than surrounding city areas beside it. Many people gasped at what they saw, as it implied who the next fighter would be, and the crowd began to grow wild.

"This new arena known as Midgar, is needless to say, where one can summon things to help smash their opponents! We are proud to introduce the newcomer known as the 1st Class Soldier that is associated with it! Storming in is Cloud Strife!" The announcer said.

A green spotlight appeared on stage, and shined on another newcomer. He wore what was the standard uniform of the former military organization he belonged to which consisted of indigo pants, an indigo sleeveless shirt, and a brown belt. He also wore black boots, brown gloves steel gauntlets and a wristband on his left wrist, and finally a silver earring on his left ear. He had blond spiky hair, a somewhat muscular and somewhat lean body built, blue eyes, and a pretty face as well. His weapon of choice was a huge bladed weapon known as the Buster Sword, which made Ike's Ragnell look like child's play in comparison. The crowd went wilder compared to Corrin's reveal, yet Cloud's face was of a calm and stoic disposition.

"Holy crap! That guy's sword is huge!" Junpei said with a surprised expression on his face. "I mean it's practically bigger then him!"

"Well you know what they say, the bigger the sword…" Teddie said with a snicker, before Rise smacked his head. "**OWWW!** I wasn't implying anything perverted… maybe,"

"Right Teddie. Right," Akihiko said with rolled eyes and a sigh.

"He seems like a strong fighter as well. Like Ike, he can wield his weapon with the strength of one hand as well," Mitsuru noted, as Cloud was currently holding his huge Buster Sword with only one hand. The green spotlight went away as the announcer came back on.

"Now we are moving onto the final announcements of the night! We have one more new arena we are also prepared to reveal! This new arena is also tied to our remaining fighter we have yet to reveal. Let's take a look!" The announcer announced. The monitor on stage showed what oddly looked like the top part of a broken clock tower falling from the night sky with a full moon out. Everyone was staring blankly, wondering who would fight on a falling clock tower of all things. Then at some point, the falling part of the clock tower, seemed to enter an alternate world, as the night sky turned bright weirdly enough, and the sky was now filled with monsters that had an angel like appearance.

"The second and last new arena we are unveiling is the Umbra Clock Tower!" The announcer announced, causing certain people in the audience to gasp, as the name of the arena implied who the next fighter might have been. "With that said, we are prepared to reveal our last fighter, who is also another newcomer! This newcomer being really special as… we allowed you fans to make her possible due to all your suggestions we opened up on our suggestion box! Give it up for the Umbra Witch, Bayonetta!"

The stage showed a blue spotlight that now focused on the newcomer. She had a very peculiar appearance to say the least. She wore a skintight black suit with a silver rose design on the abdomen area, long white gloves, triangular earrings with a blue and silver design, black stiletto heels, black glasses, and a gold necklace that had a golden watch hanging from it. She wielded four blue guns that were named Love is Blue. Two she held in her hands, and the remaining two, oddly enough on back of her heels and each had its own colored gem. She had short black hair that was cut in a pixie cut, gray eyes, and a pretty face. She had a calm, yet very confident expression on her face, as the crowd cheered for her.

"Bayonetta? Who the heck names their kid that?" Yosuke said with confusion, wondering if that was even her real name, as this fighter looked very unique.

"Well who names their kid Cloud?" Yu asked back.

"Hmmm. Fair point. But Bayonetta is kind of long for a name," Yosuke responded.

"Never mind that Yosuke, she wields four guns as her weapons!" Chie said surprised and amazed as well.

"Better not make her mad, or she'll tear that person to shreds," Marie said, impressed by the fact she managed to wield four weapons as well.

"I would not want to face off against her, without seeing how she fights beforehand," Shinjiro said, as he felt slightly intimidated by her.

"Well good thing Minato-san doesn't have to fight her." Ken said, as Bayonetta intimidated him as well.

"Well Minato doesn't have to fight Corrin, and Cloud as well," Fuuka pointed out. "Still… she is definitely interesting. A witch who fights with four guns…"

"So maybe she has other tricks besides her four guns," Naoto said out loud, as she felt the so called Umbra Witch may have had some other tricks. "What interests me more is one reason she is now a fighter in this competition is due to a suggestion box."

"She must have been suggested in a lot. Well I'm not surprised. She looks pretty awesome!" Rise said, as she had no problems. The stage lit up fully as Corrin, Cloud, and Bayonetta were now fully seen as they stood.

"That is all in terms of announcements today. We at Smash Corp hope you all enjoyed what was announced, for those watching live here, or elsewhere. For all our fans, you will be seeing all these arenas to be fought in, and these additional fighters joining our current roster, just like last time. Also stay tuned as we may have additional new components to add to our current competition as always, also like last time. For now our fighters on stage must leave to join our fighters in Smash Tower! We hope you all enjoyed the presentation and enjoy the rest of the event!" the announcer announced. Huge finger snap like sounds were heard, as the three fighters were transported back to Smash Tower, leaving everyone at the event to themselves.

"Well I guess that's three more new fighters for us to meet and learn about in the future," Minato stated, as he wondered how meeting Corrin, Cloud, and Bayonetta would go in the future. "Also this now that this is out of the way, this frees me up hopefully,"

"Free you up Minato?" Fuuka asked. "What do you mean?"

"Well those chairmen were busy probably preparing for Corrin, Cloud, and Bayonetta to enter the competition, and for their event tonight as well. Hopefully they have time to set aside from discussing and handling Amiibo, and other matters for me. If I can talk to them or The Master, then I can talk to Elizabeth. Besides them, I also need to talk to Shulk and Pit tomorrow about certain things as well," Minato explained. Fuuka nodded, and understood, and for the rest of the night, the teens just ate, discussed various topics.

* * *

Meanwhile we go back to King Dedede's room. Both Bowser and Dedede were enjoying themselves, as both were sitting on red couches, and eating popcorn chicken they ordered from room service, while they both had chocolate milkshakes as drinks, as they were watching a large HDTV, from a channel that was covering the announcement event, that just finished.

"Huh. Those three look like an interesting bunch," Dedede remarked as they saw the newcomers as well.

"Hmph. Two more guys wielding swords. I don't know what made The Master want to pick those two pretty boys, but whatever. I got to admit though, that Bayonetta chick looks kind of interesting," Bowser responded.

"You thinking of dropping Peach for her?" Dedede teased. Bowser blushed intensely and looked very annoyed.

"**HEY!** I meant interesting as a fighter, not someone to love! I maybe an evil villain, but I never betray my Peachy Peach like that!" Bowser said, while Dedede rolled his eyes, at the nickname Bowser had for Princess Peach. "No way I ever give up my love for Princess Peach! Never!"

"Man you get so defensive about her. Whatever. Not like you'll ever get with her, with or without Mario in the way," Dedede taunted, while Bowser bared his sharp teeth at the penguin, who was oblivious, as Dedede continued to stuff his mouth with popcorn chicken. "Anyway, I'm ready to show you what I've been working on since yesterday,"

Dedede and Bowser finished their meals, and went to a table that had a large blueprint on it. Dedede grabbed it, and handed it over to Bowser to overlook. As the Koopa King inspected it, he had a toothy evil grin, slowly start to form on his mouth and get bigger and bigger. When he finished he decided to comment on what he saw.

"Gwahahahaha! That looks pretty fun to make! But why are you telling me?" Bowser asked.

"Well I thought it be fun if we collaborated on this project. You and me, working together on making this for Halloween. Both our personal touches in making this-" Dedede suggested.

"I can't," Bowser answered. Dedede froze with his mouth open, and his eyes in shock. "I wanted to go trick or treating with Junior like last year,"

"But this is going to be so much fun! Besides shouldn't you let him trick or treat with the other younger fighters like Ness and Toon Link?" Dedede whined while Bowser went into a thinking position and considered Dedede's points. Bowser then smiled, and raised his right fist into the air.

"Why not? Junior can trick or treat with Ness, Toon Link, and Lucas I guess. Let's make some haunting stuff for Halloween!" Bowser proclaimed, as they both shook hands with confident smirks. "Just like old times during the Brawl Tournament, when we both teamed up to cause trouble!"

"Dehehehehe! This year's Halloween is going to be really fun!" Dedede said happily, as both kings evilly laughed, as they prepared to collaborate on this project.

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

**So what did you guys think? Notes as usual, and some important ones I want to bring up.  
**

**1\. So first off, for those who have been reading, Minato is suppose to be having his showdown with Master Hand &amp; Crazy Hand on December 30th, 2015 within the timeline of this story. Right now it's currently October 2015 in general in this point in the story. For October, I see about 2-4 (two, three, or four) more chapters left in October 2015 (not including this one), before we move onto November 2015. I do want the story to keep pushing forward, as everything has to end eventually. Keep in mind, this can change, but I'm pushing for that, so keep the story going forward. I also apologize if you feel this chapter wasn't the most exciting, but it was more so to setup for future ones to get more of the plot rolling thankfully.  
**

**2\. The DLC characters in this chapter didn't get much screen time, but more so as a way to push other plot points, to being setup for the future. However that's not to say I might not use them more, as I've stated in the past. Maybe, maybe not. Nothing is definitive as always. That's about it in terms of serious notes. Now for some more less serious ones.**

**3\. Like I've said in the past, the Kirby series in this story while following the canon of the games mainly and mostly, takes elements from the Kirby anime series as well. Escargoon having a talking role, and the two brats that Dedede refers to being Tiff (or Fumu in the Japanese version) and Tuff (Bun in the Japanese version). **

**4\. Fire Emblem Fates is split into three versions. Conquest (where you side with Nohr), Birthright (where you side with Hoshido), and Revelations (where you don't side with either per say). Which game is Corrin based off of in this story? Revelations due to that being the only version where he can get Omega Yato (which is the version of Yato he uses in Super Smash Bros).**

**5\. Yosuke wondering if Bayonetta's name, being her actual real name, is actually a reference to something from her series. I won't say anymore on the subject, as I feel that be a bit spoiler much, for those who are unaware and wish to find out on their own about it.  
**

**6\. King Dedede talking about how he's perfect, references one of the tips in the game, which states the following: "****Inhale** – **Dedede is already perfect, so his Inhale won't copy abilities. Instead, it has a longer range than Kirby's." Well he was talking till Sonic shut his mouth up with socks.  
**

**That's about it for now. If you have anything you wish to point out, or comment about, don't be afraid to do so. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and the story so far. ******Looks like next time, Minato will try to talk with those he wishes to see. And what exactly are Dedede along with Bowser planning for Halloween? Till the next chapter!  
****


	39. Divulging Information & Reasoning

**Chapter 39 is here! I hope you're all doing well and still enjoying the story in general. Before I move on I shall address the review for the previous chapter.**

**From the guest who brought up Corrin and his siblings, I was considering doing something with that (though with just Corrin himself, and without any of his family members from Hoshido and Nohr) for a possible future chapter. Like I've said in the past, he along with Cloud and Bayonetta are maybes. Though to be fair, any character aside from those who have shown up and plan to show up are maybes to be technical. Nothing is ever guaranteed, but I appreciate the suggestion.**

**As usual if you got anything you want to say, don't be afraid to comment, state, speak, etc any thoughts, opinions, or anything you want to state or point out. I hope you are all enjoying the story so far, and enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

It was now October 3rd 2015, which was also a Saturday and it was now morning. We see Minato and Fuuka dressed in their blue and teal pajamas, sleeping together in bed, in his room, as the sunlight slowly started to creep in. Minato soon woke up as the sunlight caused him to open his eyes, as he saw that Fuuka was resting her head on his chest still. He warmly smiled and placed a soft kiss on her head. He carefully got up, went to the closet in his room and picked out a fresh new Gekkoukan uniform and attire, and then went to the bathroom as he went to take a shower. As soon as he finished, he dressed up, and quietly left his room as he headed to his destination.

"Time to see if those chairmen are free to talk to me hopefully," Minato said to himself quietly, as he headed out. He went into the elevator and selected the floor that belonged to the chairmen and calmly went over in his mind, of what he wanted to ask.

"What's going to happen to me if I do manage to beat The Master? He said… if I managed to defeat him, I'm allowed my right to choose to join this competition or not. Obviously if I join… I stay in this world, and things kind of continue as are for me. Fuuka might become an Assist Trophy as well and she'll be with me in this world as well…" Minato whispered to himself. "But… if I don't join if I win… I'm just assuming things will go back to how they were, before everything this year. I need to know for sure what happens for Elizabeth's request… and for myself and everyone else,"

He soon arrived at the floor that belonged to the chairmen and found himself walking down the hallway and soon found himself in front of the room that belonged to the chairmen. But not before he saw one of the three familiar bodyguards that was guarding the doors.

"Huh. I didn't expect to see you here," Brawler said, as he stood in front of the doors while Minato glared back. Brawler rolled his eyes, as he can tell he was still not liked by Minato, at all. "What do you want?

"I'm here to see the chairmen. That's all," Minato asked. Brawler simply nodded back, and went into the chairmen's room, closing the doors behind him. Minato waited a bit outside, and soon Brawler came out.

"You can go in." and with that Brawler walked past him, as the Mii Fighter left the area. Minato walked up the doors and knocked on them slowly. They soon opened as he saw two familiar chairmen. The yellow chairman Golden and the orange chairmen Sunset opening it.

"We gave our remaining elite Mii Fighter a break. Figure it be easier on the atmosphere for all of us, if he wasn't here." Golden said with a somewhat nervous smile, as he was one of the chairman that got intimidated easily.

"So take a seat inside, and let's get to whatever you need from us," Sunset added with his own nervous smile, as he was also one of the chairmen brothers who got more intimidated easily as well.

Minato entered the room and sat at one of the empty chairs, while Golden sat at the one that belonged to him, and Sunset did the same for his. Minato decided to speak up.

"I noticed you two are the only ones here. Where are your brothers at?" Minato asked while Golden and Sunset wondered if that was really the best thing to do, to answer that question he just asked. After some delibiration they decided to answer, not seeing the harm.

"They're busy today visiting factories involved in Amiibo production. That's also the reason why you didn't see Sword-Fighter and Gunner guarding us, as they're with our siblings guarding them," Golden answered.

"And the reason why we're not there, is due to that being way too boring!" Sunset answered as he placed his hands on the back of his head, and rested his orange shoes on the large clean table.

"You can be as lazy as Sky sometimes Sunset. Anyway, disregarding what he said, the real reason being, that some of us had to still overlook Smash Corp from Smash Tower for other matters. But enough about us, what do you wish to speak with us about?" Golden asked.

"Maybe he wants to sign his contract finally Golden? Get himself a nice Amiibo made of him," Sunset teased. However both chairmen both heard something from Minato that made them really concerned.

"I wish to speak with The Master directly about something," Minato said bluntly. Both Golden and Sunset looked at each other with paled expressions. "If I can't, then I can only hope you two can answer my questions about something,"

"What's your questions?" Golden asked, his optimistic mood, suddenly gone, as he wore a serious expression now. Minato remained silent as he debated whether to tell them or not.

"Eh. Let's see if The Master is available, and willing to ask," Sunset said, as he took out his 3DS and began to play a videogame. "It's not like we don't let other people speak to The Master, if need be anyway,"

"Fine. Mr. Arisato, please leave our room briefly. We'll see if The Master is available to talk to you. Please wait outside. We'll open the doors when we're ready to see if The Master is willing to discuss whatever questions you have," Golden asked. Minato nodded, as he quietly left the room, and closed the doors. He waited briefly as the doors soon reopened. This time he noticed they closed the lights in the conference room, and closed the shutters on the windows, making the conference room darker.

"The Master has said he is willing to speak with you," Golden said.

"You shall come into our conference room. Don't try to touch anything that doesn't belong to you obviously. We'll know. Anyway we'll be waiting outside," Sunset said, while Minato just sighed. He nodded and he soon went back into the conference room, and closed the doors. He sat in one of the empty chairs and waited. He soon heard a very familiar voice that he was ever so familiar with, from a while back.

"So you wish to speak with me… Mr. Arisato," asked the voice, as Minato nodded. "It's been a while. How are you doing?"

"Spare me the small talk. I have my questions I want answered and that's it," Minato said with anger. The Master laughed briefly before he replied.

"Very well. What questions do you wish to ask of me?" The Master asked.

"You said if I beat you, I am free to choose my fate. Is that true?" Minato asked.

"Yes. Let me reiterate what I said to you that day. If I defeat you, you become a fighter for my current tournament. No more, no less. If you defeat me… I give you the right to choose your fate. You may choose to join this tournament of your own accord… or not," The Master answered.

"My second question. Let's say I do defeat you in our match… and I choose not to join your competition. What exactly happens to me and my friends?" Minato asked.

"You will return to your… previous position before I summoned you here at the beginning of this year. The same will be done for the Investigation Team, the individuals from the Velvet Room, and your fellow SEES members," The Master answered. Minato nodded, as he figured that was the most likely outcomes. However what The Master followed up with, made him concerned. "All of you… will have your memories forgotten of your time here."

Minato's face scrunched up into one of frustration and a bit of surprise. He also had the feeling of Deja-vu pop up within him, as he and his companions had dealt with this sort of thing, especially in regards to a certain individual known as Ryoji. The Master laughed calmly, not surprised to see this reaction from Minato.

"Oh come now Mr. Arisato. You think I allow those from your world to know about this universal fighting competition, if I were to not have anyone or anything from within it, remain as part of my tournament?" The Master teased, while Minato gritted his teeth, unsure of what to say back in response. "If you defeat me, and choose to not be a part of Super Smash Bros., things will return to how they were for you and the others from your world, before I got involved. But that will include all of your memories of your time here as well. Now that I have answered that… do you have any further questions for me?

Minato remained silent as he shook his head for a no, as he was now thinking over the implications of what he just heard in his head, as he got up from the chair he sat at, and slowly made his way out. He heard The Master speak as he left.

"You sure you don't want to ask me more? You can even ask if The Master is even my real name and not just another name for me," The Master teased while Minato placed his hand on the door knob, ready to leave not caring. "Just keep in mind, you still have the choice to join willingly, prior to your match with me on December 30th. It's all up to you, Mr. Arisato in the end."

Minato hearing this, finally left the room, as he closed the doors behind him. He saw both brothers were playing on a 3DS handheld system, that were painted orange or yellow respectively. They both saw Minato walk past them, and with that, closed their handheld systems and headed back to their office. Minato was now in the elevator as he was now debating who to see next.

"I can see Shulk, Pit, or Elizabeth next," Minato mentioned to himself. He figured since he was in Smash Tower, he might as well see the two fighters first before moving onto seeing Elizabeth. He decided to go check on Pit first, as he headed to the floor that belonged to the angel. He found himself knocking on the door, but heard no response. He repeated the action, wondering if Pit was in his room or not.

"If you're looking for Pit, he's not in his room," said Dark Pit. Minato looked around, and saw Dark Pit nearby, as the dark angel walked towards Minato. "Pit is busy having matches. He should be free later today though, so you should try again later,"

"Thanks for the information Dark Pit. I guess I'll head elsewhere to handle something else. See you later," Minato replied back, as he began to walk away.

"Hey Minato!" Dark Pit called out, as Minato turned around to face the dark angel. "I was just wondering… are you good with giving advice? No offense if you aren't,"

"Giving advice?" Minato said. He then recalled how he himself did give advice to many people he had known, back when he was having school during Gekkoukan High. Whether it be students like Hidetoshi, Kenji, Chihiro, and Keisuke, or meeting individuals like a guy who was the president of his own company, who had a commercial with his name Tanaka in it, and sold amazing commodities. Needless to say, he had his fair share of giving advice, or at least trying too. "To a degree. What's up?"

"I was just thinking about something. That's all… anyway it's alright," Dark Pit said, his face having an awkward look. Minato noticed said awkward expression, but decided not to comment. "Anyway thanks for answering my question."

"No problem. Just know that I'm here for you if you ever need any advice. I'll try my best. Anyway, I have to go now. See you later," Minato said as he walked away and was soon gone from the area. Dark Pit went into a thinking position as he really debated what he should do.

"Maybe I should ask him… maybe not… gah!" Dark Pit said in frustration to himself. He shook his head, and took a couple of deep breaths. "I'll think about it more."

* * *

We now see Minato in the floor that belonged to Shulk, as he stood in front of a door that had his nameplate on it. He knocked on it and wondered if Shulk was in his room. He hoped Shulk was back from his trip, like how Rosalina was the other day.

"Hey. I'll be out in just a couple of seconds, for whoever's out there," said that familiar British accented voice. The door soon opened, and Shulk smiled upon seeing who it was. "Hey Minato. What brings you here?"

"Have time to chat?" Minato asked. Shulk nodded with a smile and beckoned for the blue haired teenager to come into his room. Shulk's room had a very peculiar design. The flooring was green carpet that had a grassy look to it, while the walls had wallpaper that resembled something out of a mechanical factory. The rest of the furniture had an old fashioned feel and look to it, save for the electronic ones. The aesthetic was one that was like a combination of machines and nature. Minato noticed that Shulk placed his Monado on his brick red bed, as it laid there currently unused. Both sat at a brown leather couch, and Minato saw that nearby placed on a wooden coffee table, Shulk had a red coffee mug that was filled with red tea and was noticeably hot with steam coming out from it.

"Would you like some tea as well? I can order some if you like," Shulk offered.

"I appreciate the gesture, but no thank you. How are you?" Minato asked.

"Pretty fine. I've been enjoying my time in this world so far. How about you? You liking your time here so far?" Shulk replied.

"It's… been an interesting experience, to put it simply," Minato said with a smirk. "I just wanted to ask you some questions if you don't mind,"

"No problem mate. Ask away, since we're chums and all," Shulk said with a smile, as he took a sip of tea from his coffee mug.

"You said you can see the future due to the Monado right?" Minato asked. Shulk nodded as he took another sip of tea. "How exactly does that work?"

"Well… it's kind of a long story, and there are some details I'm better off not telling you but to put it simply… an influence from the Monado… allows me to see the future." Shulk answered, with Minato answering.

"Can you control to bring out your own visions or not?" Minato asked. Shulk was about to answer, and went deep into thought. Shulk needless to say was in an awkward position, on how he wanted to answer. Considering the events that had ended after his journey back in his world, he himself knew he shouldn't be even wielding the Monado. He only was able to wield it now due to the influence of The Master, ever since he entered this tournament last year. He also pondered, as that was something that he wasn't sure how to answer Minato about as he himself wasn't entirely sure.

"I apologize. That's not an easy question for me to answer for a multitude of reason. But if I had to give an answer to a degree… I'll say for now that my visions tend to appear at least in this world… when something of significance or of warning occurs. A good example would be… let's say I was walking with you and we were walking around in an empty building for whatever reason." Shulk tried to explain as Minato listened. "We're walking around, and then I see the future that depicts… the building coming down and we don't make it out. That would then be my cue to warn you, and for us both to get out of that building as soon as possible,"

"So your visions tend to activate when something of grave significance or danger like that, happens?" Minato said as Shulk nodded back.

"Correct. But do note I can't always see things of that nature, or things in general consistently. To a degree it does follow that kind of pattern but it doesn't always work. Also my visions tend to be of things that happen relatively soon or the near future. I can't see events like years or months ahead. I mean… towards the end of my adventure I was a bit more in control of them, but not currently to also note." Shulk noted as Minato began to ponder himself. "I apologize if you wanted me to see your future. I'm no fortune teller,"

"No it's fine. Think nothing of it," Minato said, as Shulk took another sip of his tea. "The future… I hear in general you're a firm believer of being able to change it and all. Would you mind talking a bit more about your journey and what you learned from it?"

"I suppose you can say that," Shulk said with a slightly cheeky grin. "The journey I had in my world was needless to say one that…was one I have learned a lot from. During the beginning of it… I was driven by revenge to embark it, on those who hurt me and those I cared about. But as I progressed… my adventure opened my eyes to a lot of things in general. I learned to always keep an open mind and look at all your options." Shulk explained.

"I see," Minato said, as he began to take the words into consideration as he felt he could relate somewhat, as his own journey taught him many things. Silence filled the room, while Shulk wondered why Minato was asking these questions, as he himself grew a little more curious.

"Say Minato… if something's eating you up mate, just know I'm here for you. Also for any of your other friends as well." Shulk said. Minato nodded as he got up, and both shook hands. "Just know that whatever happens… the future isn't set in stone."

"Definitely. See you later Shulk," and with that Minato left the room as he closed the door, and found himself in another wide hallway. He would definitely have to consider another serious discussion with Shulk, possibly depending on how things went. He then headed back to the elevator and to head back to the floor he and the others stayed at. "I'll have lunch with the others then take the bus and head over to see Elizabeth,"

* * *

We now see King Dedede and Bowser both looking over what appeared to be a blueprint of some kind of building structure. It resembled a large mansion that was planned to have a horror aesthetic. The two were in a government building office, planning to get a building permit.

"Are you sure we can get this thing built before Halloween? We don't even have a full month to get it done," Bowser said, a bit concerned. Dedede flashed a smile, as he was very confident.

"We can! My Waddle Dees are fast and efficient workers! We can definitely get this done and ready before Halloween." Dedede answered back.

"Hmmm… if you say so. If that's the case, I'll get my Koopa Troopas to help them build it as well. I also contacted my oldest son last night, who agreed to help oversee the construction since we'll be busy with matches and all normally." Bowser replied as the two waited to see someone, to get a building permit.

"Where's he going to stay at while in this world?" Dedede asked.

"Actually I asked Kamek to use his magic to send him back to our castle from our world. That wizard is capable of some powerful magic," Bowser explained as Dedede nodded. "Anyway... I'm pumped! Gwahahaha! We're going to make the scariest and most popular Halloween attraction in this city!"

"Yeah! We're going to be this year's Halloween highlight! Dehehehehe!" Dedede stated, with a big arrogant smile. "We'll make the local news even I bet! Two evil kings make best Halloween attraction of New York City for 2016!"

* * *

Some time had passed as it was now we now see Minato approaching Langham Place. He went alone after his lunch, as he knew this was something he wanted to talk with Elizabeth alone about. He soon went inside and headed to the floor that the Investigation Team, along with Theodore, Elizabeth, and Marie stayed at. He decided to say hello to the Investigation Team first, as he knocked on the door to the room that belonged to the boys. However he heard no response at all. He then tried on the door that belonged to the girls, but once again no response.

"Guess they're all out. I'll see if Elizabeth is here then," Minato said to himself as he knocked on the door that led to the makeshift Velvet Room, in that hallway. It soon opened with Theodore at the door.

"Ah. Welcome to this Velvet Room." Theodore said very politely as Minato entered. Minato sat at one of the velvet blue couches and saw Elizabeth was seated on the other blue couch aside with a smirk. "We are here to serve you today, my sister's guest. What questions do you have?"

"Doesn't Marie stay in your room? Guess she went out with the others," Minato remarked, as both Elizabeth and Theodore nodded.

"Yes. She went out with the others outside as they went out for dinner and will be back later," Theodore said, somewhat relieved she wasn't there at the moment.

"Just wondering. Anyway, I'm here to fulfill my request." Minato said, as Elizabeth nodded. Theodore looked confused, as he was unaware of this so called request, that Elizabeth asked of Minato.

"A request?" Theodore said with confusion, as his face looked puzzled.

"That is between me and my guest Theo. May I ask you please give us time to speak by ourselves?" Elizabeth asked.

"Very well. I was in the mood to explore more of the city as well currently. I shall see you later sister," Theodore stated, as he calmly left the room. Soon both Minato and Elizabeth remained as they looked towards each other.

"So my guest… you have completed my request," Elizabeth stated. "The request where I asked you to find out what exactly becomes of you, if you were to defeat The Master in battle, and decline his offer of joining his fighting competition,"

"Yes I have." Minato answered back, as he slowly explained. "If I defeat The Master and refuse to join his competition… then he will return me, the rest of SEES, the Investigation Team, Marie, and you and your brother… back to our world… with no knowledge of everything related to this world and everything that has happened since he took me."

Elizabeth nodded slowly taking in what she heard and closed her eyes. Silence filled the room as both were unsure of how to proceed the conversation. Elizabeth reopened her eyes that were now filled with both curiosity and concern.

"I… see. My guest, as I've said before… what… what has made you refuse his offer? I… don't fully comprehend your current choice, with no offense towards you," Elizabeth stated calmly, yet with a hint of anxiety. Minato took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He had a feeling he would have to eventually divulge to someone why he was fighting to not be in this tournament. He finally spoke the following words as he opened his eyes.

"For my own sake originally and mainly," Minato said simply.

"For… your own sake?" Elizabeth asked with curiosity, as that was the answer she was most surprised to hear.

"Yes. For my sake, as self-regarding it sounds," Minato said quietly. "It's time I explain my reasoning,"

"I see," Elizabeth said, as she was even more attentive compared to before. "Then I listen with open ears, for your reasoning,"

Minato took a deep breath once more and exhaled, calming himself before he began to speak of his reasons.

"My journey I had back in Tartarus… the one I had with my companions… my friends… and the love of my life… had taught me things. When I was young… both my parents passed away. It turned me into someone who tried to become emotionless, so I couldn't be hurt if I had no attachment. But throughout my journey I learned to open myself up and to bond with others. My journey also taught me… that death is something inevitable. Death is a part of life… and everyone in the world has to make the most of the life everyone is given," Minato said before he paused. "Fuuka… I do love her with all my heart. I do. But… I… I have to stay passed away for my sake."

"But… what would that accomplish? Wouldn't you wish to reunite with your priestess, by staying as a fighter in this world?" Elizabeth asked.

"I would love to be with her, for the rest of our mortal lives if I could. But… as soon as The Master dragged them into the situation, that was something I couldn't afford to have happen," Minato stated as Elizabeth looked curious. "The Master wishes to make me a fighter and keep me going. But let's say I became a fighter… I would still be separated from them all,"

"Separated?" Elizabeth asked with confusion.

"Yes. Because while I'm fighting and living in this world, they would go on with their lives. And I am aware they are allowed to visit me but… it wouldn't go well in the long run for this reason. Besides Shinji who be besides me… the others would grow old while I'm eternally still a high school teenager in this world…"

"They would all… pass away eventually… and they be eternally in the afterlife from our world, while you… would be living with eternal life in this world, fighting in this tournament still," Elizabeth said with realization, as she could understand that was different.

"I'm not like the other fighters. All of them still live and have their own lives from their own worlds while I passed on from ours. I can't return to my world alive like them. Only here in this world am I living, to compete in this fighting tournament. It be one thing if I was revived and I eventually pass away normally. I spend the rest of it living with my friends and with Fuuka, of course. I love and cherish their company. But as soon as The Master involved them… and put me into a fighting competition that keeps going, with his so called generous gift of allowing them to see me… and telling me the details he did… I knew I had to decline,"

Elizabeth was at a loss for words and surprised that Minato thought such long term reasoning. This was a bit surprising to hear that Minato's reasoning came off as a bit selfish, considering all the times he spent bonding with others and helping them.

"I can't bear the pain… to see them move on without me. To see them all move on to the afterlife, and especially Fuuka… my heart would be broken," Minato said. Elizabeth was starting to understand more and more. "We be separated… them in the afterlife from our world, and myself still living in this world, fighting. I died and made my peace, and as much as my death hurt them… they all gotten stronger and moved on as well. I want us all to reunite in the afterlife… even if my soul has to bear the duty of handling Erebus from meeting Nyx. This is my pure selfish reasoning, as much as it pains to hear. This is why I must fight and defeat The Master come December 30th, and win my right to choose,"

Elizabeth fell into full silence. Needless to say she felt a mixture of awe, pain, and uncertainty from what she heard, as her personal journey was to somehow revive Minato from his fate from their world. She remained silent unsure of how to respond. Minato took a deep breath and said something that also caught her attention.

"However… a part of me has reconsidered," Minato said, while Elizabeth's eyes went wide with shock.

"You… reconsidered?" Elizabeth asked, as what she heard before was contradictory to this new information.

"Last month The Master made an offer… to make Fuuka an Assist Trophy, undeniably to push me into joining further. Something that most likely and only happened if I myself were to join for sure. This is admittedly a big change and why I said originally earlier. I realized if I were to stay in this world… she would also be eternally living with me. We be together for our time here. Constantly, consistently, and never aging as well. I remained as a high school teenager still. The others this whole year… they regressed back to their physical state from their time in Gekkoukan High, as opposed to their current adult forms back home prior to getting involved in this. This whole year, none of us have significantly aged and have essentially stayed the same physically. Fuuka and myself... together as high school lovers…"

"You and her… eternally together," Elizabeth said in amazement as Minato nodded.

"It's temping. I'm not going to lie. To be with the love of my life for the both of us together forever… that would be heaven to me. But like I said… this is a part of me that has reconsidered. I haven't decided what I'm going to be doing yet, so I'm glad I have time till December 30th to think it over," Minato explained. "I think… that's enough for now. So unless you have any more to say, that is it,"

Elizabeth remained silent once more. She closed her eyes as she took in all the information she had heard from Minato. She was unsure of how to respond or proceed at the moment, as this was one of the rare moments, where she was rendered speechless by another. Minato himself went silent, as he knew this was a lot to take in. Today in general for him has been pretty heavy for him so far. He quietly and slowly stood up, as he decided it was time he left. However he was stopped as Elizabeth suddenly said something.

"My guest… like my requests in the past… you shall be rewarded," Elizabeth said with a smile and in a solemn tone. She held what appeared to be a card from her compendium and walked over to hand it to Minato. Minato looked at it, and saw it bore the familiar image of a Persona, he had yet to try summoning in this world. "I was appropriating Thanatos while your soul was preventing Erebus and Nyx to meet. I feel now is the time it is to return to its rightful user,"

"Thank you… Elizabeth. We'll definitely see each other again before December 30th, for sure," Minato said as Elizabeth nodded in response. Soon Elizabeth was by herself in her makeshift Velvet Room, sighing. She smiled and whispered to herself the following.

"I personally hope… you stay in this world. Be well my guest… but ultimately… your fate is in your own hands." Elizabeth whispered, to herself with both a mix of joy and sadness.

* * *

Some time passed and it was now the late afternoon, as evening soon approached. We see Pit in his bedroom, dressed in a casual white shirt, and blue jeans, as he had just finished his matches earlier and was now free for the rest of the day. He was laid back on his white bed, as he yawned and was wondering what to do.

"Hmmm… what do I want to do now that I'm free at the moment? Probably head to the hot springs to relax," Pit said to himself casually with a pondering face. He then heard knocking on his door. "I'll be right there!"

Pit went to the door and opened it, and saw Minato. Pit's face went into a smile, and then into awkward uneasiness.

"Oh hi Minato," Pit said, as he had a feeling this was finally the time they get to talk.

"Hey Pit. I know you wanted to talk to me about something a while. I also have things I wanted to bring up to you as well. Since we're both here, and we're both healthy and able and all. Can I come in?" Minato said. Pit nodded as he welcomed the blue haired teen in. Pit sat on his bed, while Minato sat on a white couch in the room. "So… what did you want to talk to me about?"

Pit gulped and wondered if he should really be asking this. But he knew that nagging feeling from what he heard from the chairmen that night, a while back wouldn't go away. So he gulped once more and decided to get it out of him.

"Minato… I heard from the chairmen… about something about you… I kind of want cleared up," Pit said a bit nervously.

"Okay… what do you want cleared up?" Minato asked, while Pit chattered his teeth. "Come on Pit. Just ask whatever it is."

"Alright. Umm… what exactly… are you… fighting for?" Pit asked a bit nervous.

"What am I fighting for? What do you mean?" Minato replied back.

"I mean… **GAH!** I'll get straight to the point!" Pit suddenly shouted in frustration. "Are you fighting… to not be a part of this competition!?"

Minato was a bit surprised that the chairmen would say that kind of information towards Pit. Needless to say, that was not the question he expected Pit was going to say. If anything, Minato knew himself that this was a subject he was going to bring up and talk with Pit about at some point, especially after how Palutena brought him up recently.

"Are you sure you want that answered?" Minato asked.

"Yes. I want that answered," Pit said firmly. Minato really wondered how this was now going to play out, but he figured it was now or never.

"Pit… I'm fighting for my choice… to pick if I want to be in this competition or not." Minato said very calmly and gently. Pit felt his face crack as if bricks just fell on it. Pit's eyes began to blink rapidly, and his face in general began to twitch. "Please… please don't take it the wrong way Pit…

"Wait…what!?" Pit asked with confusion in his voice. "Why… why would you fight for that?"

"Pit… I have my reasons," Minato said calmly back, but Pit was very distraught, and this made Pit even more upset.

"Reasons!? What about us fighters!? We're like family when we're all here! Did you ever consider all of us!? Don't you enjoy your time here at all?" Pit replied back with mixed feelings.

"I do enjoy my time here Pit," Minato said, as he did have a lot of good moments and memories with them all.

"Then… why are you doing this? Was it because of someone like Bowser when he burned your Evoker? Was it because of what happened with Fuuka at the chairmen's office? Then I'm sorry those things happened, but don't disregard the rest of us. Heck I'll fight all three of those elite Mii Fighter bodyguards, by myself, just to get back at them for you, even if they pummel the heck out of me," Pit pleaded as he began to take deep breaths to calm down. Minato flinched, as he can tell Pit really wanted him to stay. "I… I just don't understand… I'm heading out,"

"Pit…" Minato said concerned and quietly while Pit stood up as he began to leave his room.

"I'm… going to head to the hot springs. Calm down, relax, and think about it more. I don't hate you or anything Minato I just… need time alone to think about I just heard. Sorry for the freak out. See you later Minato," Pit said and with that he was gone. Minato sighed and just slowly let the room, making sure to close the door and wondered what to do now, as he was concerned for his angel friend.

* * *

We now go outside to the city in Manhattan and see a very peculiar site as many pedestrians around the area stopped to stare or continued to walk looking at the scene. Bowser and King Dedede were both standing at a large empty construction site, as many Waddle Dees wearing yellow hardhats with Dedede's white peace sign symbols imprinted on it, and many green shelled Koopa Troopas wearing yellow hardhats with the red Bowser emblem emblazoned on them, were also present. Also standing beside Bowser was his oldest son Ludwig, who he had requested to be in this world earlier this morning, as he wanted him to oversee the construction effort. The two kings held black megaphone speakers, (and Ludwig held his own megaphone speaker as well besides his silver magic scepter with a blue gem at the end), as Bowser decided to speak.

"All you minions listen up! Today you all begin construction of something spooky and awesome for Halloween this year!" Bowser said with excitement. The Koopa Troopas cheered wildly for their king while the Waddle Dees felt Bowser was a bit scary, as most of them looked afraid of the Koopa King and wondered if the Koopa Troopas be friendly towards them. Dedede seeing this decided to speak up next.

"Don't worry my Waddle Dees! The Koopa Troopas will be nice to work with. When we're done building the Haunted Dedede, both myself and Bowser will treat you all and the Koopa Troopas to free candy!" Dedede exclaimed. The Waddle Dees and the Koopa Troopas cheered from what they heard, however Bowser suddenly realized something upon hearing that.

"Hey! We never agreed on that name!" Bowser shouted at Dedede. "Heck we didn't agree on any name for this thing!"

"Well I want the Haunted Dedede as its name!" Dedede shouted back, with his arms folding.

"No way! We're calling it Bowser's Haunted House!" Bowser shouted back as he folded his own arms.

"Haunted Dedede!"

"Bowser's Haunted House!"

Both kings kept shouting the names of what they wanted to name the final product at each other, while the Waddle Dees, Koopa Troopas, and everyone else who happened to be nearby just felt awkward at the scene. Ludwig having had enough of his father and his father's friend arguing, decided to take matters in his own hands as he used his magic scepter and waved it around. Both the megaphones that Bowser and Dedede held dissapeared, while they blinked in confusion. Then Ludwig using his own megaphone began to speak.

"If I may interject, father and King Dedede... why don't we make a new name that both of you can agree on? With both your names in the name. Like… I don't know… like… Bowser &amp; Dedede's Haunted Manor. Keep it simple and all," Ludwig calmly suggested.

Both Bowser and Dedede relented as they realized their bickering wasn't going to go anywhere if they kept arguing. Bowser motioned Ludwig to hand his megaphone over to him, and decided to speak.

"Fine. Bowser &amp; Dedede's Haunted Manor it is. Now Ludwig, oversee all these minions till you're done for today! Thanks son. Kamek will take you home each night when you're done. With that said… get to work minions!" Bowser exclaimed as all the Koopa Troopas and Waddle Dees cheered. Many of the minions began to carry worker tools, and or building material as the Waddle Dees and Koopa Troopas began to work together. Bowser handed the megaphone back to Ludwig, as he walked towards Dedede. "Say Dedede. Why's only my oldest kid watching our minions over? Don't you have any of your own personnel?"

"Escargoon is back home managing my castle. I need someone to watch over it while I'm fighting here," Dedede explained. "Shouldn't you have other people watching over your castle?"

"I do. Besides Kamek who's here doing stuff for that one Mushroom Kingdom U arena whenever a match happens there, I have another Magikoopa advisor named Kammy who's currently watching it at home. Besides my other advisor, I also entrust the castle to the rest of my children who aren't in this world to watch over it as well," Bowser explained. "Besides… what about that Waddle Dee that wears the blue bandana? Isn't he one of your top guys as well?'

"Well yeah… but Bandana Dee said he rather not get involved. He's too busy playing with Kirby and the others in Smash Tower," Dedede replied back awkwardly while Bowser rolled his eyes. Both then began walking away as they headed back to Smash Tower. One familiar pedestrian who just walked nearby was Theodore, who held a small bag of groceries as was curious of the construction work going on.

"What are those creatures up too?" Theodore said to himself curiously, as he walked towards the site and stared at what was happening. He saw the Waddle Dees and Koopa Troopas working together to carry things, and such. Ludwig noticing the stranger on site, walked toward the Velvet Room attendant and got a bit huffy.

"Hey! No one but my father and his associates are allowed on this property! Leave the vicinity immediately!" Ludwig stated all full of arrogance as the oldest child of Bowser, began to swing his magic scepter around, trying to whack Theodore with it. Theodore taking the hint, was chased away by Ludwig, till the Velvet Room attendant was gone. "I better have a keep out sign made as well,"

Theodore was now away and panting a bit, as he was glad to not have been smacked earlier. He turned around from the sidewalk he stood on, as he saw all the Waddle Dees and Koopa Troopas continue to work. He was really curious but decided it was time he headed back, as he walked away from the scene.

"I wonder what they are building? I wonder indeed..." Theodore said to himself, as he pondered over what he saw.

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

**And that was the end of that chapter. Notes as always. **

**1\. Minato bringing up the people he gave advice too, were referring to some of the characters you can Social Link with in Persona 3 and help out. **

**2\. Elizabeth appropriating Thanatos from Minato, comes from her using Thanatos in Persona 4 Arena and Persona 4 Ultimax, which both take place after Persona 3. Also whenever you fulfilled a request for Elizabeth in Persona 3, you would be given an award.  
**

**3\. Ryoji is a character from Persona 3 who is needless to say, is involved in two different endings depending on what you do with him. Either way, the characters will lose their memories of their adventure, though in the good and canon ending, they will all end up remembering it (and being part of the true canon).**

**4\. Kammy is a character who is also one of Bowser's Magikoopa advisors who shows up in Paper Mario &amp; Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door.**

**That's about it for now. Like I said before, if you have anything you wish to say, go for it. Otherwise I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Some big information Minato has learned and divulged this chapter. And what role will Bowser and Dedede's haunted house play in the future? Till the next chapter!**


	40. Construction Complete

**So here we are at Chapter 40! Not much to say this time. As always if you have anything you wish to comment, say, point out, and such, don't be afraid to do so. Otherwise I hope you all are enjoying the story so far and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

Minato was in Fuuka's bedroom wearing his blue pajamas, as he sat in her bed, already tucked in as he was deep in thought, as it was now night that day . The only light in the room was moonlight that came out of the window and shined on the bed, as he stayed there. Tonight they were sleeping together in her room, though they were glad to be with each other the same regardless. Fuuka was currently in her bathroom changing into pajamas, as Minato continued to think over what Pit said to him earlier, along with everyone else he spoke with that day. Soon Fuuka came out, and she went to sit nearby Minato, as he seemed lost in thought still. He wasn't sure how to handle telling the others about them losing their memories, if he did choose to not be a part of this competition, assuming he did defeat The Master. Telling SEES, the Investigation Team, the Velvet Room members, and even the fighters in Smash Tower. Fuuka noticing this, decided to speak.

"You alright Minato?" Fuuka asked gently, as she was a bit concerned for her lover. Minato blinked briefly as he turned to face her. "You were kind of… distraught during dinner earlier tonight,"

"I'm alright," Minato responded quietly. "Still going over a lot of things in my mind from today."

"I noticed at dinner you were pretty quiet as well Minato," Fuuka asked concerned.

"A lot of what I talked about with those I saw earlier today…I really don't feel like sharing at the moment," Minato said uneasily. Fuuka nodded as she understood that sentiment. "And to add on to that… I don't see myself sharing those discussions anytime soon… if at all,"

"I… see," Fuuka said, feeling more concerned. This made her wonder even more of what she talked about with them. "Alright. Well I won't pursue the subject. Also I won't ask them what they spoke with you as well, since it seems to be really private,"

"Thank you Fuuka. It's not that I don't want to tell you it's… it's just complicated," Mianto said with an added sigh. Fuuka simply gave Minato a gentle peck on his cheek, making the blue haired teen smile.

"It's fine. To change the subject… Halloween's at the end of the month? Any plans?" Fuuka asked, as Minato wondered what to do. "We never really celebrated Halloween back during our year in Gekkoukan…"

"Yeah. That is true. Then again people in Japan don't normally celebrate Halloween as well in general," Minato said to himself, as both began to brainstorm ideas. "We should definitely bring it up with the others tomorrow,"

"Sure Minato. Actually, why don't we invite the Investigation Team over as well to talk about it? They might not have celebrated Halloween back in our world like us," Fuuka suggested.

"Sure. We can invite them over for breakfast tomorrow," Minato said, as that sounded fine with him. Fuuka nodded, and with that they headed to bed sleeping, as they both rested in each others embrace. We now fast forward to the next day, as it was now October 4th as we see the SEES members at a diner around 10AM in the morning along with the Investigation Team they agreed to meet, as they were all in a diner in the city, as they all already ordered breakfast (with the exception of Aigis of course who didn't need to eat). They all conversed about the topic of Halloween, as they all sat at a large booth, near the diner's doors.

"How are you guys doing?" Minato asked, as they all waited their orders.

"The usual. I'm feeling perfectly fine again so that's good." Yu said. "What about you guys?"

"We're all generally fine. Though we were thinking about talking with you all about Halloween today," Fuuka suggested.

"Halloween… the day also formerly known as All Hallows Eve. A day where spirits were to cross over into the world of the living," Aigis explained. "In modern times, people tend to dress up in costumes and go trick or treating for free candy given to those who participate,"

"Let's just focus on all the free candy we can get! I always wanted to celebrate this back home!" Junpei said excited.

"**YEAH!** I always wanted to celebrate Halloween! All the free candy for one day!" Chie yelled with a ton of enthusiasm. "This holiday was made for me!"

"Really? I was thinking of that other holiday where people stuff their faces with turkey next month, was more up your alley," Yosuke teased while Chie looked at him annoyed.

"Well besides free candy, it'll also be fun to dress up and get to see all the costumes people will wear on Halloween," Yukari added on.

"All the girls dressed in cute outfits! I can't wait!" Teddie shouted in excitement as the bear (not currently wearing his bear outfit, as he was in his human form) swooned over such thoughts.

"Always the one for such things aren't you?" Mitsuru stated along with a slightly annoyed sigh, while Teddie sheepishly grinned.

"But I'm pretty sure we need to get ourselves costumes to wear anyway," Akihiko remarked.

"I wonder what you'll dress up as Aki. Maybe as a giant protein shake," Shinjiro remarked, while Akihiko sighed as he knew that he was a bit obsessed with the stuff for a while.

"What do you guys have in mind for costumes?" Fuuka asked, as she directed the question towards the Investigation Team.

"Actually we all got Halloween Costumes… sort of," Rise replied.

"Yu sempai got us all those costumes and clothing from his time shopping in Okina City." Kanji remarked. "Part of that included Halloween costumes,"

"That's pretty cool. Maybe the people in Okina City celebrated it," Ken replied and wondered. "But you guys didn't bring those costumes with you when you were taken to this world."

"That is true, but considering how this world likes to offer things from many other different realities, I wouldn't be surprised if we ran into those costumes I got for myself and my team, or something similar at the very least," Yu explained.

"I bet you had a lot of leftover cash for costumes from all those trips to the Midnight Channel," Minato replied, while Yu just smirked and nodded in response. "Figures. Places filled with Shadows tend to be filled with money for some reason,"

"So that leaves only your team for finding a costume for Halloween," Naoto remarked. "So now with the topic of Halloween out of the way, how are all of you?"

"We're fine Naoto-san. Recently Minato has been able to get into contact with those he wished to speak about certain things with,"Aigis stated.

"Is that so? How did that go?" Yosuke asked curiously, as the teenager directed his question towards Minato.

"It went alright," Minato said, as he now had to wonder if he should bring up what he discussed yesterday, with the others. Before Minato could decide to say more, someone suddenly entered the diner and drew everyone's attention away. It was what appeared to be multiple Koopa Troopas wearing yellow hard hats with the Bowser emblem on them, walk in, as they paid for a large amount of orders to go, while people sitting already in the restaurant began to chat about why such a large amount of Koopa Troopas suddenly showed up.

"Aren't all those guys, Bowser's henchmen?" Kanji asked uneasily.

"You couldn't get that from them wearing something with his symbol Kanji?" Teddie said sarcastically, while Kanji raised his fists at the other blonde.

"What are those guys doing here?" Yukiko asked. "And what's with the hard helmets?"

"Looks like they're picking up lunch for themselves and for a lot of people… as for the hard helmets, they look like they're the kind construction workers would normally wear," Naoto pointed out.

"I didn't know that big bully turtle had his own construction company," Chie remarked.

"Yeah… the _Bowser_ construction company," Rise said annoyed, as she still wasn't over what the Koopa King pulled on them the other day.

"I'm kind of curious what they're constructing though, if that is really the case," Mitsuru mused.

"Is that something… really worth looking into?" Yosuke said with a pained expression. "We kind of made it a thing for us, to stay away from the big bully turtle and all,"

"Well… to be honest, I'm kind of curious what he's having his henchmen build as well," Yu stated, while the rest of the Investigation Team cringed in response. "But yeah, we kind of made it a rule not to get involved with that guy,"

"Hmmm… I wonder if we should follow that rule," Junpei said nonchalantly. "Sounds like a good one to me,"

"But I am rather curious about what they are building as well," Aigis interjected. "This seems like an occurrence that is not common, at least in this world,"

"What do you think Minato? Should we look into what those Koopa Troopas are involved with?" Fuuka asked, as the blue haired teen wondered if this was something that SEES should see. Minato shrugged in response.

"Why not? After we're done with breakfast we'll follow them, and see what they're up too," Minato said, as they continued to eat. Eventually when they finished, they bid farewell to the Investigation Team as they stayed behind to order food or Marie, Theodore and Elizabeth to bring back to the place they stayed at. We now go to the construction site, as the SEES members stood a fair bit away observing the scene. They saw the Koopa Troopas that were at the diner earlier, giving other Koopa Troopas and the Waddle Dees in the areas, each a bag containing food, as it seemed they were all taking a break to eat food, as some of the minions setup picnic tables to sit at.

"Huh. I didn't figure King Dedede be involved with this as well, with whatever they're building," Akihiko stated. "I wonder if we should question him or Bowser later about this."

"Nah. This doesn't seem to be anything resembling trouble… yet at least," Shinjiro stated as they continued to observe.

"Yeah. This doesn't seem to warrant us getting involved really," Yukari stated. "Plus while King Dedede is alright… well compared to when we first met him at least, Bowser is not exactly someone I want to see for a lot of reasons,"

"No kidding." Junpei said. "Both those guys like to cause some trouble sometimes, so getting involved with whatever this is, shouldn't be worth it,"

"But I'm still rather curious what they're building though. Still… I did say before for us to not get involved with King Bowser. Perhaps we should go for now," Mitsuru said as they watched the Koopa Troopas and the Waddle Dees have enjoy their food and drink during a break. They all began to ponder what to do, but suddenly they all lost their train of thought, as a unfamiliar voice was heard shouting out the following.

"All of you minions better wash your hands after you're done eating!" shouted a regal, yet arrogant sounding voice from a megaphone. They all looked around, and saw someone they vaguely heard and knew of, but didn't personally meet till now at the construction site, as the individual held what appeared to be his own bag full of food, from a different eatery. "After that, you're all going back to work!"

"Hey… that's one of the Koopalings isn't it? Like Roy, Iggy, and Morton?" Ken pointed out, as they saw the blue haired and blue shelled Koopaling walking around the construction site.

"That's Ludwig von Koopa," Fuuka said, as she remembered from the research she did on Bowser Jr. in the past. "The oldest of Bowser's children."

"Seems to be living up his name with the whole Beethoven hair he got," Junpei remarked, as the Koopaling went to sit at one of the empty picnic table's setup.

"We shouldn't bother him, right guys?" Yukari asked, as the SEES members wondered if finding out what they were building was worth it. "He might be a big jerk like the three other Koopalings we met,"

"Only one way to find out. You guys stay here… I'll have a chat with Junior's oldest sibling and see what's up," Minato said, while the rest of SEES nodded towards their leader. He walked towards the construction site. Ludwig was sitting at a picnic table, and took out a fresh toasted sandwich that had eggs, sausage, and cheese. Ludwig took a fresh sniff as he had a big grin.

"Can't continue to oversee the workers for father, without the most important meal of the day," Ludwig said, as he prepared to take a bite. He stopped as soon as he saw what appeared to be a blue haired teen approach him, as he began to rapidly blink his eyes in confusion. Soon the teen sat across from him on the same picnic table, with a somewhat confident smirk. Ludwig stared back in confusion as he wondered who this person was, as he continued to hold his toasted breakfast sandwich.

"You better eat that before it gets cold," Minato said, somewhat smugly, while Ludwig gritted his teeth, and bit into his sandwich. As soon as the Koopaling was done eating, and cleaned his hands with some napkins, he immediately got hostile.

"This area is clearly off limits, so I have no clue why you're still here!" Ludwig said annoyed while Minato smirked back.

"Just wanted to know what you and all those guys also taking a break are building in this construction lot?" Minato asked. Ludwig opened his mouth and was about to tell him, but then he realized that probably wasn't one of the best ideas. He realized his father explicitly told him, to not tell anyone what the end result be.

"Hmph! Not for me to say! If you wish to see the fruits of our labor, come back towards this site towards the end of the month. You'll see then cretin," Ludwig answered in a manner of fact like manner. "Now vacate the premises immediately!"

"If you say so. Good luck with the construction," Minato said a bit smugly, as he calmly walked away while Ludwig blinked with a confused face, wondering who the random teenager was.

"That was weird. I wonder if I should report that random person to father…" Ludwig mused. He then shook his head from that notion. "Nah. Many people will be curious as to what's being built. This shouldn't come as a surprise to me. I really should get to making those keep out signs,"

With that said, Ludwig went into his blue spiked shell and came back out holding his silver magic scepter and quickly conjured up many keep out signs. He motioned for Waddle Dees and Koopa Troopas who were already done eating to start putting the signs around the area. We see Minato back with the other SEES members as he explained what he was told.

"End of the month? So around Halloween since that's the last day of October and all," Yukari questioned.

"We still don't know what they're building exactly though," Mitsuru said.

"We can try asking both Bowser and King Dedede but that could end not so great possibly. More so with Bowser," Akihiko added.

"This… doesn't seem that big a deal to find out. If it's trouble, its trouble, but it's not that yet," Shinjiro stated to put out there. "We're not the watch out for what Bowser is doing police,"

"That is a very good point. For now, we should really leave them be. We'll find out what it is later on in the month," Minato said. "We'll come check it out at the end of the month possibly,"

* * *

With that SEES soon left the area and headed back to Smash Tower to spend the rest of the day, however they each wished. It was now later in the day as it was nearly evening, with the sun in the sky going down. We now focus on Fuuka, as was going around, saying hi. She was in front of a room that belonged to Kirby, as she held what appeared to a big picnic basket with a teal blanket above it. Soon the door opened and out came Kirby who smiled upon seeing her. In his room, was Bandana Waddle Dee, Starfy, and Yoshi (who she finally met recently and got along with as she found the dinosaur very sweet and gentle) as they were all sitting on a big pink couch, as they were all watching a cooking show on the HDTV in the room. Fuuka giggled as she knew that Kirby and Yoshi in particular had a very big appetite, while Bandana Waddle Dee and Starfy could eat a fair amount as well.

"Poyo!" Kirby said warmly as he smiled at the sight of Fuuka, as Fuuka kneeled down to give the pink hero a warm gentle hug, as she smiled warmly as well. They both got along very well. Fuuka walked in with Kirby closing his door, as she walked on the soft pink carpet that was on the flooring of the room. They turned the TV off, as Fuuka walked to each of the individuals and gave them each a warm gentle hug as well.

"Came by to drop off these treats for you guys. Myself and Shinjiro sempai did some baking as well. Hope you all enjoy," Fuuka said, as she took off the teal blanket and inside were apples she bought at the cafeteria, along with chocolate chip and sugar cookies. The four squealed happily, as Fuuka smiled immensely from seeing them happy. "I'll see you guys later in the future!"

Fuuka bid them farewell as she left the room and unexpectedly bumped into someone as they both crashed into the ground, as Fuuka closed her eyes from that happening.

"Oof! Sorry about that!" shouted the familiar voice. Fuuka opened them, and saw that she and Pit bumped into each other. "Oh hey… Fuuka."

"Hey Pit. Sorry about bumping into you as well. How are you?" Fuuka asked, as she didn't expect to see the angel at the moment. She was aware that when she and Minato talked to Palutena, she had heard that Minato would tell Pit eventually about what he was really fighting for. "What are you doing on this floor of Smash Tower? Here to see Kirby, King Dedede, or Meta Knight?"

"I was going to Kirby's room to say hi to the little guy… but I can save that for later. How are you?" Pit asked.

"I'm fine," Fuuka replied back, as she wondered if she should bring up, Pit and Minato talking with each other yesterday., as she was aware that there was a chance, that Minato brought that point up with Pit finally and if it was something she should bring up now. "I'm just going around seeing people at the tower today. With that said, I don't want to interrupt you meeting Kirby,"

As Fuuka walked away, Pit wondered himself if bringing up yesterday was something he wanted to do, with in regards to Fuuka. He figured what he spoke with yesterday between himself and Minato was something that he should keep lock and key. But at the very least he couldn't help but shake off the anxiety that built up within him.

"Hey Fuuka… can we talk?" Pit asked uneasily, as Fuuka looked back towards him confused. A short time later, we see Fuuka and Pit at the cafeteria as Fuuka held a cup of green tea, and Pit sitting across from her, as they were the only ones at a table. Various other fighters were sitting at other tables and they were either talking with other fighters and/or eating.

"So whenever you're ready," Fuuka said gently as Pit nodded. She wondered herself if he himself was going to bring up yesterday, as she wasn't privy to all the details. Pit sighed as he decided to talk.

"So you probably know, Minato and I talked yesterday about stuff. Being the kind of guy I am, I'm going to keep what he said between us private and all but I do want to address certain things in general. Feel free to ask me anything you want as well," Pit said as Fuuka nodded towards the angel. "First thing being… are you satisfied with your time here so far?"

"Yes. It wasn't a perfect time I had admittedly but… it's one I have definitely enjoyed overall so far." Fuuka said. "Thanks to you and all the other friends we made here. Thank you Pit," Fuuka said. Pit smiled from hearing that.

"Thanks. My next question is… well… is it wrong to be selfish?" Pit asked while Fuuka looked confused at what she heard. "What I mean to say is… well I think I should stop being not coy about this. I talked with Minato yesterday… and I feel I can't hold in what he told me anymore. But you might be aware of what I'm asking anyway so-"

"Pit…" Fuuka said, to interrupt the angel. Pit stopped before he can speak anymore. "I don't know what exactly Minato told you yesterday… though I have a strong feeling what he might have said… but however you took it, that's fair to react in whatever way you did. At least, that's how I personally feel about it," Fuuka said while Pit nodded back.

"Just please answer me this… are we fighters important to SEES? To you and Minato?" Pit asked.

"You are all important to us Pit. I'm glad we met. You and everyone else are those I won't forget about," Fuuka said warmly. Pit smiled as he definitely appreciated the sentiment. If only they both knew that memories were also in stake, depending on the choices made. They both bid adieu for now, as Pit decided to see Minato right away, before going to see Kirby. We see Pit a short time earlier, knocking on the door to Minato's room somewhat rapidly. The door soon opened as Pit saw Pit. Before Minato could say anything, Pit blurted out the following as he got a bit spastic.

"Minato I'm so sorry for how I acted towards you yesterday! I'm still not fully sure how I feel about it to be honest, but I just want to let you know that I still want to be your friend and all. I still don't fully approve and understand, but I don't want things to be awkward with us. Alright, I'm going to go see Kirby, see you later!" Pit somehow said so fast, in a frantic comical manner, as Minato blinked his eyes, surprised he understood that rapid speech of words, as Pit quickly bowed, and then ran off to see Kirby. Minato just sighed to himself and smiled, somewhat glad, and somewhat sad to hear that from him.

"What am I going to do?" Minato said to himself very quietly, as he slowly went back into his room and closed the door. He sat and laid down on his bed and sighed. "I have to tell them all eventually about... our memories being forgotten besides things going back to how they were before this all started."

* * *

Time has passed as the days of October passed. The SEES members had the time to meet Cloud, Corrin, and Bayonetta, and needless to say, the three proved to be pretty friendly, and thankfully they all got along well. Both SEES and the Investigation Team tried to stay out of trouble, as the month went on. Soon it was now October 30th as it was nighttime. Ludwig von Koopa was very pleased, as a bunch of Koopa Troopas and Waddle Dees stood outside, of what appeared to be a large house like manor. The wood outside was painted purposely with faded green paint, to make it look dreary. It had a decayed appearance in general, as grass was planted around the area during the construction, complete with fake tombstones popping out of the ground.

"Good job Ludwig!" exclaimed a very cheerful Bowser, as he and King Dedede walked onto the area nearby with both of them carrying what appeared to be a very large wooden crate with a metal lock padlocking the lid. They both placed the crate down, Dedede especially appreciative of this, as he was the lazier of the two kings. "I am very proud of you managing all of this!"

"Think nothing of it father," Ludwig said with pride, as he was glad to be of service and to win some more brownie points over the rest of his siblings.

"You put in all the… _surprises _for any guests who dares check it out tomorrow, from our world and from my friend's world right?" Bowser asked with anticipation.

"Yes. As soon as we got this finished, we prepared the manor to be filled with what you asked father," Ludwig said, as Bowser and Dedede both got big mischievous grins from hearing that.

"Very good. Now go see Kamek, as he's waiting at the entrance to Smash Tower. I hope you and the others have a good Halloween back home in our world. Have a good night," Bowser said warmly, as he gave his oldest son a burly hug. The oldest Koopaling began to walk away, as Bowser and Dedede looked at the haunted manor. "Gwahahaha! Perfectly haunting! Looks like something that chicken Luigi be afraid to go in! Good job minions!"

"Now to pay the minions! Enjoy all the candy you worked hard to get!" Dedede exclaimed, as he took out his large wooden hammer, and just slammed the metal lock off, with a mighty swing. He pulled the top wooden lid off, and inside could be seen a huge amount of candy treats of all kinds. The Waddle Dees and the Koopa Troopas cheered happily, as they rushed towards it, eagerly grabbing the sweets, as they began to stuff themselves happily.

"Tomorrow is going to be awesome! Bowser &amp; Dedede's Haunted Manor! The most popular attraction for Halloween in New York City!" Bowser boasted. King Dedede looked at the manor and wondered some things, as he brought up some topics in his head.

"You sure we're going to get people coming in? This is going to be… you know, an actual deadly haunted house and all," Dedede said out loud. "We even have to make sure any guests signs a contract at the entrance, basically saying we aren't responsible for any injuries or deaths,"

"It'll work! It has too! It's too awesome to fail!" Bowser boasted once more, while Dedede considered what he heard. He himself was the one who made the idea originally, before he got Bowser involved.

"Don't get me wrong, I don't want it to fail, I'm just saying nobody can possibly show up technically," Dedede brought up. Bowser went into a thinking position as he considered that point. "Anyway, let's head back to the tower and grab some grub. I'm hungry!"

"It'll get people alright! No way it won't!" Bowser replied back as he began to walk with Dedede back. "It's going to have people show up no matter what!"

"If you say so. Now let's hurry up and get dinner!" Dedede said, with Bowser walking after him behind. Tomorrow was indeed going to be proving very interesting, as it was one Halloween, many people weren't going to forget, anytime soon, for whatever reasons.

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

**So what did you guys think? Notes as usual.  
**

**1\. In Persona 4 Golden, you can purchase costumes for your party members to wear in Okina City. This was not available in the original version of Persona 4. Among the costumes you can purchase, are Halloween themed ones. Rise is the only party member you can't buy costumes for in Persona 4 Golden, but she gets her own set of costumes in Persona 4: Dancing All Night which include a Halloween themed one. For the sake of this story, she also had her costumes purchased from Okina City.**

**2\. In Persona 3 and in Persona 4, both the main protagonists can earn a lot of money through fighting Shadows in Tartarus/the Midnight Channel, along with finding money in treasure chests in both these locations. This explains how Yu bought said costumes in this story for his team and himself, in general for this story.**

**3\. Like Roy, Iggy, and Morton who are playable alternative versions of Bowser Jr. in Super Smash Bros for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U and showed up earlier in the story, Ludwig is also another option, among all the Koopalings. The oldest of them all, and his name coming off the fact he does have that Beethoven hair going on.  
**

**4\. Bowser referring to Luigi as a chicken, is kind of how basically since Luigi's Mansion, Luigi has usually and generally been portrayed as more of a coward compared to a lot of the characters from his own series. Still, he'll always be awesome.**

**This is about it for this chapter. Next one is going to have some fun shenanigans as Halloween finally hits, and a lot of mischief might occur. As always, if you got something to say, don't be afraid to do so. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and the story so far in general. Till next time!**


	41. A Halloween Attraction Needs Guests

**Chapter 41 is finally here! Before moving on I want to address the previous reviews as usual.**

**From gold crown dragon, Minato could indeed have done those things had he chosen to do so. I wanted to not just use his most popular Personas he could use, and try to use other ones as well. Also Elizabeth currently had Thanatos at the time, due to the events of Persona 4 Arena and Ultimax, but he did most recently finally got Thanatos back as well. As for using Thanatos against Master Hand... well he did get that Persona back, so it remains to be seen that Thanatos will be used in some way in the future.**

**I also want to take the time to thank everyone who has been reading my story so far. I'm extremely appreciative and thank you all for your support. As always, if you have anything you want to comment, point out, etc, don't be afraid to do so. I also have a music track I recommend listening to for this chapter. I hope you all are enjoying the story so far, and I hope you all enjoy this chapter!  
**

* * *

_*** Horror Land (Mario Party 2) ***_

It was now nearly midnight on October 30th. A certain Magikoopa named Kamek was riding his magic broom, as he soon arrived at his destination, after earlier transporting his king's oldest son, back to the universe they were from. He "parked," his broom, so to speak, as he gently let himself off onto the ground, and carried his golden magic scepter. He saw what looked like a little stereotypical stand, one would use for lemonade, with a wooden stool behind it, in front of a large metal gate that lead to a haunted looking manor. It had a sign on it that said "You must sign up here, to enter!"

"I suppose Master Bowser and his penguin friend have outdone themselves," Kamek muttered to himself, as he readjusted his glasses (that somehow did not let people see his pupils from the outside, for some reason), as he sighed. "I better do as Master Bowser requested, and sit and wait till people show up… all Halloween…"

Kamek walked up to the wooden stool, sat on it, and stared blankly ahead, as he saw the busy streets nearby with people who were still up, roaming about. Kamek sighed as he realized this might take a long while, as he had nothing to do. He also just realized how would he stay awake and attend to other needs? He took out his golden magic scepter and used it, as four white poof of smokes, appeared nearby him. They appeared to be short Koopas who wore red robes, had a buck tooth stick out from their mouths, wore black rimmed circular glasses that oddly enough, had black swirls on them, and wore propellers on their heads for even more bizarreness. They were Toadies. Koopas that worked directly Kamek.

"You four listen up! If I need you guys to get me a coffee or a sandwich, you four will get it for me! If I need to use the restroom, you will watch my stand! Do you understand?" Kamek asked. The Toadies nodded in response, as they tended to not talk much. "Good. Now find a place that's still open late and get me a latte!"

The Toadies walked away while Kamek just sighed. He looked down on his stool, and visibly looked annoyed.

"I can do much better than this," Kamek grumbled. He used his magic scepter once more, and this time, using his magic, turned the wooden stool into a big comfy black leather chair. "Much better. Now to begin the duty Master Bowser assigned me. The task of… waiting to see if anybody wants to go into this haunted house attraction,"

Kamek sighed. This was going to be a very long day for him he could tell. The old Koopa has thankfully developed a ton of patience from raising Bowser since he was a baby, and eventually Bowser's own eight children as well.

* * *

We now switch scenes to morning as we see into the conference room that belonged to the SEES members. No one was currently in it, at the moment, though that was going to change soon. We see someone opening the door that led into the room.

"Guess I'm the first one here," Junpei mumbled to himself. He was covered head to toe, in what appeared to be tons of toilet paper, and white fabric that covered his being, except his face. He was thankfully wearing a white undershirt and white boxers underneath all his mummy wrappings, as well as his blue baseball cap above his bandaged mummified looking head. Junpei went to his chair in their conference room and took a seat. He soon heard the door he just used being opened as he turned to see who it was. "Well look at you Yuka-tan. I didn't know you were into that kind of blood sucking thing,"

"It's just for Halloween Junpei," Yukari said, a bit annoyed. She was dressed in in a pink Gothic dress, and was wearing two fake fangs, as she decided to dress up as a vampire. "By that logic, I say you have a thing for toilet paper, and we both know that's not true… I hope,"

Before Junpei could respond, another person entered the room taking their attention away. It was Akihiko as he was dressed in a brick red pirate captain's outfit, complete with a red and white pirate bandana on his head (which even had the skull and crossbones symbol on it).

"I see you two have found your own costumes," Akihiko noted.

"I didn't know you were into pirates, Akihiko sempai," Yukari teased while Akihiko just sighed.

"Not exactly. I just didn't know what to go with, so I ended up picking something random from a catalogue for Halloween costumes," Akihiko explained.

"Well you definitely nail the look Akihiko-sempai. Arrrrre you ready for Halloween?" Junpei teased, while Yukari sighed, and Akihiko couldn't help but smirk at Junpei's little pun. Then another person entered the room, taking away their attention.

"Excellent costumes Iori, Takeba, and Akihiko," Mitsuru mused. She was wearing what appeared to be a brown aviator jacket, a red scarf, an aviator helmet complete with goggles, and brown aviator pants.

"You look like you're ready to fly one of those old fashioned planes Mitsuru," Akihiko noted, as Mitsuru nodded in response.

"I am dressed for such an occasion, despite not knowing how to. Maybe one day I'll have Kikuno teach me to use to pilot a helicopter at the very least," Mitsuru pondered out loud. "Learning to pilot more vehicles besides my motorcycles be a good skill to have,"

"That would be a wise decision, Mitsuru-san," said another familiar voice. They all turned to see, as they saw Aigis enter the room. She was wearing what appeared to be a black suit with a skeleton body painted on, as it covered everything but her head.

"A skeleton huh? Not bad Aigis," Yukari said with a smirk.

"I felt it was thematically appropriate, for this holiday," Aigis answered back with a smile. "I wonder what our remaining companions have decided to dress up as for this holiday,"

Soon entered three others, as they all turned to face them. Ken was wearing a stereotypical cowboy outfit. He had a brown cowboy hat, orange bandana around his face, a blue shirt with a brown cowboy vest, blue jeans, a holster along the belt on his pants where he had his Evoker in, and brown cowboy boots. Shinjiro was wearing a Viking costume, which consisted of a black tunic, a brown fur coat, a helmet with two white horns, and black fur boots. Koromaru was wearing… a hot dog costume, and he seemed to be happy as he had a big smile, as he didn't seem to mind.

"So you decided to be a cowboy, huh Ken?" Yukari asked.

"Well I figure it be fun," Ken said with a smile. "I always wanted to try wearing a cowboy outfit, for a while,"

"Looking pretty Nordic there Shinji." Akihiko teased, while Shinjiro just sighed.

"I guess we know who the hottest dog around is," Junpei said with a smile, with his own pun, as Koromaru barked happily in response from hearing that.

"Koromaru-san said, he appreciates your comment, Junpei," Aigis translated for the white Shiba Inu. "All we're missing is Minato-san and Fuuka-san who have yet to appear in this room,"

As if on cue, the two remaining SEES members entered the room. Minato was wearing what appeared to be a prince outfit. He wore a sapphire blue shirt that had platinum colored buttons on it, a black sash, platinum colored tassels on his shirt's shoulders, black pants, and black shoes. Fuuka was wearing a teal angel dress, white sewn fluffy wings attached to the dress, a yellow halo looking Greek styled laurel head wreath, and white dainty sandals for her footwear.

"Wow. You two look very nice," Junpei said, as he admitted it was a step up from what he was wearing as a costume.

"A prince and his angel… sounds really romantic to me!" Yukari teased, while both Minato and Fuuka blushed at what they just heard. "But you two look nice,"

"Thanks. You guys all look nice as well," Minato said, with Fuuka nodding in agreement with that. "Marth suggested the prince costume to me,"

"And Pit and Palutena suggested the angel costume to me," Fuuka explained.

"Very fitting choices they suggested, in my opinion," Mitsuru mused.

"Are you all ready to trick or treat today?" Ken asked. Everyone nodded in agreement, as they thought it be fun. Someone then knocked on the door that led to their room.

"I wonder who is at the door? I shall go open it," Aigis stated. She walked to the door and opened it, and saw two familiar faces. It was Isabelle and Dillon. Isabelle was wearing what appeared to be an astronaut, space suit like costume, sans the space helmet, while Dillon… seemed to be wearing his usual attire, feeling the need to not dress up at all for Halloween. Isabelle carried what appeared to be a box of candy.

"Hey guys! I picked up some candy from some shopping recently and wanted to share some! Isabelle enthusiastically asked very bubbly. Isabelle took some of it and placed it on the table, and the SEES members thanked her. "How are you all?"

"We're all doing fine Isabelle. Thank you for asking," Fuuka replied warmly, as both her and Isabelle smiled warmly at each other. "I hope you and everyone else have a Happy Halloween today,"

"Thank you! I can't wait to go trick or treating with Mr. Mayor back at our town today! Dillon also told me, he try to celebrate with the others more, isn't that right?" Isabelle said, as Dillon calmly nodded. "He's going to be socializing with the others who chose to stay and not return to their worlds to celebrate today,"

"Is that so? Have fun cowboy," Minato said, with Dillon nodding back to him. "Well we're all planning to head out soon to meet some friends of ours. You two have a safe and fun Halloween,"

"Thanks Minato. You all have a fun safe time as well," Isabelle said back, as she and Dillon shook hands with the others, before leaving the room. Minato and the rest of SEES looked at each other and nodded, as it was time they head out and meet with the Investigation Team. They all headed out and picked up big plastic pumpkin shaped trick or treat bags along the way. They agreed to meet at Central Park, and from there go trick or treating throughout the city for the rest of the day.

* * *

We now switch back to Kamek who looked bored out of his mind. For some odd reason, no one dared to ask him, what the deal with the haunted manor was. Then again, he started to wonder if building a haunted mansion attraction in the middle of Manhattan was going to attract that kind of audience who go into such a place, considering most people he saw walking around were the types you see on Wall Street, even on Halloween. He currently held an iced coffee latte, as he was trying to stay awake.

"I really wonder if Master Bowser and his friend, really thought this all the way thro-"the Magikoopa mumbled to himself before he heard a voice that caught his attention.

"Mommy! Can I go into the big spooky house?" cried the voice of a young boy. Kamek saw a young child dressed up as Mario of all things. Kamek sneered slightly at the sight but ended up just sighing, and put on a friendly smile.

"Sure son. Sir? Are people allowed into this attraction?" The mother of the child asked. Kamek nodded, as he pulled out a pen, and pointed toward one of the form that the visitors would have to legally sign. She picked up the form and began reading it, and her facial expression turned into a frown. "Is this a joke? People who enter can actually get seriously injured or die? Why would anyone enter this place? Good bye!"

With that, the mother held her son's hands, and walked away, while Kamek just stared in disbelief. It was just as he feared. No one sane would willingly enter a place where they could get seriously injured or even actually die, for a Halloween attraction of all places. Kamek sighed as he took another sip from his iced coffee latte, and wanted the day to just go by and be over with.

* * *

We now switch scenes to Central Park as we see the SEES members approaching for where they were to meet the Investigation Team. They all still held their big plastic pumpkin shaped trick or treat bags, and they all had their Evokers on their own being in some way, just in case. They then saw eight familiar faces approach them, as they all smiled upon seeing them, and they all carried their own big plastic pumpkin shaped trick or treat bags as and Evokers as well on their beings. Yu was dressed as a magician. He wore a black top hat with a red sash wrapped around it, a white buttoned shirt, a cape that was black outside and red inside, black pants held up by black suspenders, and a red belt, along with black shoes. Yosuke was wearing what appeared to be a werewolf costume. He wore brown fur like gloves, had painted black whiskers on his face, wolf like ear accessories on his head, brown fur like jacket, grown pants, and finally brown furred like pawed feet for his footwear.

Both Chie and Yukiko were dressed up as witches, though they had their differences. Chie wore a small green witch hat, an orange dress with a green vest over it and a green ribbon (that made her look somewhat like a witch that had a thing for pumpkins), green skirt, black and purple striped leggings, and black boots with an orange top. Yukiko was wearing a more traditional costume in comparison, as she wore a black witch hat that had a red sash around it, a black corset dress, with a red skirt, and black heeled shoes.

Next up was Kanji who was dressed as if he was made to be the next Frankenstein. He wore a black jacket that stitches stitched throughout it, a black and white horizontal striped shirt, black boots, and had what appeared to be two bolt like pieces of metal on his head, and finally had painted black stitch marks on his wrists, below his knees, and across his forehead. Rise was wearing a costume based on a devil. She wore a pink headband that had the stereotypical devil horns (though they were pink), a black top with a pink ribbon on the front, black armbands that had black wings, a black skirt with many frills and had a black devil tale at the back of it, fishnet styled black leggings, and finally pink heeled shoes.

Teddie's costume wasn't too different from his normal bear one. Instead of having his bead head, he wore what appeared to be a jack-o-lantern like headpiece, with a purple witch hat atop it, a purple cape, his red buttons on his bear suit being replaced with peppermint red and white swirls, and was wearing purple socks and black witch shoes. Finally, we see Naoto as she wore a cat girl like costume for her Halloween outfit. She had blue cat like ears accessories, a grayish blue furry like fake scruff around her neck, dark blue gloves with furry cuffs, connected to dark blue sleeves that went up nearly to her shoulders, a dark blue top, dark blue shorts that had a furry dark blue cat tail from behind, dark blue leggings, and black shoes finally.

"Wow. You guys all got some nice costumes. Rocking the werewolf look huh?" Junpei said impressed.

"Thanks man. You guys all have some nice costumes as well. And you're rocking the mummy look," Yosuke replied, as both boys went to give the other a handshake.

"A pumpkin witch huh? That's a very cute idea," Yukari remarked while Chie sheepishly grinned.

"I appreciate that Yukari! You look great as a vampire," Chie replied. "Ready to chomp on any jerks?'

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Yukari replied with a sheepish smile. "I see Yukiko is also dressed up as a witch as well,"

"Yes. I figure it be fun to be one as well," Yukiko replied back as she looked around. "Nice costume Amada-san. A cowboy huh?"

"Yeah. I'm a cowboy. Thanks Yukiko-san," Ken said with a smile. "Kanji-san… you wanted to be Frankenstein?"

"Hell yeah! One of the best monsters!" Kanji exclaimed, while Yosuke looked at Kanji with rolled eyes.

"Kanji needs a shock to his system, if he wants to get his brain running too," Yosuke mocked, while Kanji looked at Yosuke annoyed.

"What did you say!?" Kanji said as he got nearby Yosuke angrily, while everyone else just sighed at the sight, and Yosuke's face tensed up.

"What I meant to say… was that Frankenstein costume was a great idea Kanji!" Yosuke said nervously back.

"I thought so. You know Yosuke sempai, I could call out your costume on being something part of popular culture in certain very mixed movies and novels, but you don't hear me saying mean stuff!" Kanji whined.

"Anyway… back to discussing our Halloween costumes… nice angel costume Fuuka!" Rise said, to change the topic. "It's very fitting for you!"

"Thank you Rise-chan. Your costume is nice as well," Fuuka said in response. Rise just beamed in response, as despite their costumes being opposites, the actual navigators were on the same wavelength of appreciation towards each other.

"What's with the pirate and viking get up for you two? Both of you in the plundering mood for all the candy in New York City? Or maybe you're going to plunder some booty?" Teddie teased, as he noted Akihiko and Shinjiro's costumes.

"Tch. Don't push your luck, pumpkin head," Shinjiro stated calmly, while Akihiko just sighed, as Teddie just sheepishly grinned himself.

"Pirates always go after the best treasures. Today's treasures are all the candy we're going to get from trick or treating," Akihiko answered.

"That is an interesting point of view today's holiday, Akihiko-san," Aigis noted. Koromaru barked happily as Aigis translated for the white Shiba Inu. "Koromaru is also excited for all the candy we will be receiving today as well!"

"Koro-chan is even more adorable in his hot dog costume!" Chie remarked. "I wonder if I should get a costume for Muku for the next time Halloween is around back in our world?"

"Looking pretty boney there, Ai-chan," Teddie flirted, as the bear had his pumpkin head currently smirk. "I wonder if I can help make a heart pop up on your costume?"

"Give it a rest dude," Junpei said, while Teddie just has a cheeky grin from hearing that.

"Well if not Ai-chan, then maybe Mitsuru-chan? She looks like she's ready to fly to the sky with someone!" Teddie remarked. Mitsuru simply rolled her eyes at the comment and sighed, deciding not to comment on what she just heard. She looked to comment on another costume, as she looked around.

"Interesting costume Shirogane. I didn't know you had an interest in felines," Mitsuru mused.

"I just felt it was appropriate for today's holiday. That is all," Naoto said calmly. "I see your costume emulates the aviators of the past. Interesting costume you're wearing as well,"

"Indeed it does." Mitsuru answered back with a friendly smile. "I see your leader is dressed as one who performs magic tricks,"

"What can I say? A little magic on Halloween be nice," Yu said with a smirk. "Nice costume to Minato as well. Prince huh? Reminds me of that blue haired fighter in the Smash Bros tournament,"

"Some people joke we're distant relatives," Minato said with his own smirk, as he and Yu walked to each other and shook hands. "You guys all look nice as well. Ready to start trick or treating?"

"Wait! Where's Marie-chan? She's not trick or treating with you guys?" Fuuka asked, curious to see why she wasn't with them.

"Elizabeth and Theodore wanted to explore the city during Halloween. So they kind of dragged Marie-chan to go with them," Teddie explained.

"I see. Well we can see her later then. It's time for us all to start trick or treating around the city," Minato stated. Everyone nodded in agreement. They all began walking together, as they all eagerly awaited to get started.

* * *

We now switch scenes to Kamek as it was now the afternoon. He had so far had no one signup and enter the haunted attraction that the king he served, and his king's friend had created for this holiday today. He had gotten multiple caffeinated drinks, (and the occasional meal), and had to use the restroom at times. He was currently bored out of his mind, as he hadn't had anyone show up for a while, before they leave in confusion and wonderment why they go into a place, where they can actually get seriously injured or killed.

"This day is about halfway over… I can last till midnight… for King Bowser," Kamek mumbled and whined to himself. He now had a pumpkin spice latte next to him as it was one of the drinks, certain cafes were serving during the Fall season. "Then again… I don't get paid for this… like at all to do th-"

"Hey dudes. Check out the haunted mansion," said what sounded like a teenager. Kamek turned his attention as he saw three male teenagers that each carried their own skateboard. They were dressed in a stereotypical skater punk like manner.

"Yeah you're right. It does look like a haunted mansion," said another one of the skaterpunks, as he pointed at it.

"Hey old wizard… dude," The remaining teenager skater punk said, as Kamek himself was being addressed. "Can we enter that thing?"

"Yes… but you first have to sign this form," Kamek pointed out. The three skater punks walked up to his stand and each picked up a form and looked at the forms they held. After some time had passed, as they read the whole form, they finally placed the forms back on the stand.

"Dude… we'll be real about you about something," one of the skater punks said.

"No one is going to go into a haunted house where they can actually get hurt or killed in," another of the skater punks said.

"Yeah… unless they were into that sort of thing. Sorry dude but we're not going in," the last remaining skater punk said. With that the three skater punks used their skateboards, to skate away, while Kamek just sighed again. He grabbed his pumpkin spice latte and took a sip, and it made him wonder if he should learn the recipe for himself, when he was back home proper.

* * *

It was now evening as the sun was starting to set, and the night sky was soon approaching. We see the SEES members and the Investigation Team all sitting at a café, each having a big trick or treat bag each filled to the brim with various kinds of candy.

"I wonder if I should start with the chocolates… or the lollipops, or the hard fruit candy," Ken said happily as he looked at his candy with eagerness.

"Oh man! I can't wait to get back to Langham Place to try this all out! Best Holiday ever!" Chie exclaimed happily.

"Like I said in the past Chie, I still think you'll like that turkey holiday next month better," Yosuke remarked, while Chie looked at him and stuck her tongue out at him

"Tch. It's a wonder why all the dentists look forward to this holiday, for all their future cash soon coming in," Shinjiro calmly remarked.

"Everyone better apply a lot of toothpaste tonight," Akihiko stated, while Junpei just rolled his eyes at the comment.

"Akihiko sempai, we're going to brush our teeth," Yukari remarked, a bit annoyed, and with a sigh.

"Flossing will also be recommended," Aigis pointed out. "Along with the use of mouth wash for optimal dental care,"

"Well it's not like it'll be that much of a yearly occasion. Considering people in Japan don't normally celebrate Halloween," Yukiko remarked.

"Maybe I should do a Halloween themed music video. Maybe ask Kanami and the others to do ones as well, to get Japan into it more," Rise said out loud, as she also enjoyed the holiday so far, and wouldn't have minded making it more popular in Japan.

"Oh yeah! That reminds me, in the future you guys will have an incident involving Kanami-" but before Junpei could say anymore Mitsuru glared at him and he realized that talking about future events that would happen to the Investigation Team back in their world was not the best idea. He took one of the unwrapped chocolates from his trick or treat bag and began to enjoy his sugary treat, and stuffed his face while the Investigation Team looked at him blankly, confused. "What I meant to say was… this candy is delicious!"

"It is. Also Halloween would be a fun holiday to celebrate back home, I imagine," Mitsuru added, to help change the topic.

"All the dentists in Japan, would become very appreciative I would imagine, if it were to become more of a proper holiday in our home country," Naoto mused out loud, as she had a mental image of many children visiting the dentists with toothaches after Halloween.

"So… what's next on the agenda Yu-sempai? I'm kind of pooped after all that walking around for candy," Kanji asked out loud.

"Hmmm… not sure. Minato you have any ideas?" Yu asked, as Minato went into a pondering position. He then just suddenly remembered the construction site that he himself, and the rest of his group visited, earlier in the month.

"Well… there was a construction site. The one where we saw Bowser's henchmen were building at, from the diner," Minato mused. They all went into a curious pondering expression, as they now thought about what they just heard.

"Should we… really check it out?" Fuuka asked, unsure if that was the best thing to do. They all tensed, but at the same time they were all very curious. Koromaru barked, as he caught all their attention, and Aigis translated for the dog.

"Koromaru says that it may at least be worth seeing briefly. It could possibly be something bad and we wouldn't want anyone getting caught up in Bowser's trouble, if he planned any," Aigis explained. They all considered what they just heard. That was a very good point. Minato decided to speak up.

"Very well. I guess we can all take a look then." Minato said. Fuuka petted Koromaru for his wise suggestion, as he barked happily. They all got up, and decided to head to the construction site.

* * *

We now see Kamek who was now eating a hot fresh hot dog, he had one of his Toadie minions get for him, as well as drinking a hot chai tea on the side. He had so far no one enter the haunted manor, but at this point he really didn't care as he decided to just relax the rest of his duties away. He was just laying back against his chair, as at this point he really didn't care to focus on his work

"I don't think Master Bowser and his friend will mind if I take it easy. It is as it is, no one has yet to go in-"

"**KAMEK!**" yelled a familiar voice that caused Kamek to just sigh in annoyance. He turned towards the direction of the voice, and saw Bowser and King Dedede walking towards him. Bowser looked annoyed, while Dedede kept stuffing his face with candy from a large trick or treat bag he held.

"Master Bowser… I see you and your friend have decided to not dress up for this year's Halloween," Kamek said as he took a bite out of his hot dog.

"Hmph! I plan to dress up later! As for my pal here, he was just too lazy to get around to wearing one for Halloween," Bowser answered back while Dedede just shrugged in response. "Never mind that! How goes our awesome attraction? How many guests have we had so far?"

"We have had zero guests," Kamek calmly stated and explained. Bowser had a confused expression pop up on his face, and King Dedede stopped eating when he heard that.

"Zero!? Are you joking!?" Bowser shouted frustrated, as Kamek shook his head for a no. "That has to be a joke!"

"Not one person has entered this attraction of yours. Personally, I feel such an idea was never going to catch on really," Kamek said with a slight hint of smarminess, as while he did love and saw Bowser as a son, he at times felt the king had many moments of incompetence. "This also applies to your penguin friend,"

Both Bowser and King Dedede looked at each other, feeling very embarrassed as they weren't sure what to say. They both admit, the wizard had made them realize their overzealous for such an idea, was perhaps a bit too authentic and extreme, for anyone to actually enter. Before any of them could say anything more on the subject, the three at the scene heard a voice.

"**WAHHHHHHHHHH! IT'S BOWSER!"** Teddie screamed with fear as soon as he saw the Koopa King. The rest of the Investigation Team, and the members of SEES either stared at Teddie with looks of frustration or of confusion and slight panic, depending on the individual. Bowser, King Dedede, and Kamek looked towards their direction now. Minato and Bowser glared at each other in particular.

"Well if it isn't Blue Mint and his merry band of teenager chump buddies!" Bowser said both mockingly and with a hint of anger. "Been a while since I've seen you chumps!"

"Hey! Check out our haunted attraction!" Dedede shouted in excitement.

"What… what is it called?" Yukiko asked, still curious, as they now saw what appeared to be a haunted manor in the area.

"It's called Bowser &amp; Dedede's Haunted Manor, as these two kings named it," Kamek said with a somewhat tired and annoyed tone.

"Anyone venture into your haunted manor yet?" Aigis asked with curiosity herself. Bowser looked annoyed while Dedede looked embarrassed from hearing that. "I am calculating there is a high percent chance that no one has yet to-"

"Shut up!" Bowser shouted annoyed, as he began to stomp the ground with his right foot. "It'll get guests before the end of the night!"

"I'm a bit curious to know why such an attraction has yet to have any guests, on such a holiday like today," Naoto mused out loud.

"Why don't one of you kiddos take a look at this form and see for yourself?" Kamek said, as Minato walked forward to the stand, and picked up multiple forms for himself, the other SEES members, and for the Investigation Team. They all read the form, and they all had surprising expressions on their faces upon finishing reading.

"This attraction sounds… very unappealing now," Fuuka said calmly, as she realized why no one has yet to venture inside to such a place.

"Who the hell would go to a haunted house where they can actually get hurt or die in!?" Yosuke exclaimed.

"Yeah! You have to have a death wish to go in there!?" Junpei added in agreement.

"Well I kind of got too overzealous when thinking up the place," King Dedede said sheepishly, while everyone else just sighed.

"Well it's probably a good thing no one went inside then," Chie remarked, while Bowser folded his arms.

"Hmph! Why don't you chumps go inside and check it out?" Bowser asked.

"Hell no! We aren't dumb enough to go inside such a place!" Shinjiro remarked while Bowser gritted his teeth in frustration, while Dedede just sighed.

"Sorry, but we're not interested into going such a place," Mitsuru said calmly.

"Seems these teenagers are pretty wise for their age," Kamek mused while Bowser looked at his Magikoopa advisor annoyed.

"Silence Kamek!" Bowser yelled out. "I'll give all you chumps one more chance… enter our attraction for Halloween or else!"

"Or else what, you big bully!?" Rise shouted in a harsh tone.

"Sorry but no dice," Yu said calmly while Bowser had steam pop out from his head from hearing those responses.

"Come on everyone. Let's go," Minato said as they all began to walk away. Bowser immediately walked up to Kamek and whispered something. The old Magikoopa nodded, as it seemed he was given a new task. Bowser then walked up to Dedede and quickly whispered something to the penguin. Bowser and Dedede then both walked towards the mansion while Kamek got on his broom. He then made it rise, as he then flew it in front of both SEES and the Investigation Team, who stopped upon seeing him.

"Master Bowser is now giving you all the express ticket inside without having to sign up! Enjoy! **EHEEHEEHEE!**" Kamek said as he cackled as he slowly zipped above the sky above them, and began dropping rainbow colored magic dust from his golden scepter on them all.

"What is this stuff!?" Kanji exclaimed confused and concerned, as they all felt the same way. Soon they all started to glow, and before anyone could say anything, they all vanished. They would all soon reappear within the haunted manor, for one Halloween they wouldn't soon forget.

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

**So what did you guys think? Notes as always.  
**

**1\. Toadies are enemies that first showed up in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island for the SNES. They are Kamek's direct minions, so it made sense for Kamek have some appear to do what he asks of them.**

**2\. Persona 4: Dancing All Night takes place after Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, and is something the P4 characters who are part of this story has still yet to experience. Hence Junpei quieting up about Kanami and the incident, once he realizes that was something they still have yet to experience. Can't mess with time as it is, even more.**

**3\. Horror Land is one of the game boards of Mario Party 2. In Mario Party 2, the characters would dress up for every board (with the exception of Bowser Land). In Horror Land, all the characters would dress up as wizards for the horror themed board. Thought it be appropriate music for a Halloween related chapter **

**4\. Kamek sprinkling rainbow colored dust, is a common way for him, to use his magic. In Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Kamek would use that in every boss fight, to help transform the boss to fight Yoshi (with one exception). Kamek continues to does this in other games as well, like New Super Mario Bros. Wii and New Super Mario Bros U, etc. In this case, he used it to transport both SEES and the Investigation Team into the haunted manor.**

**That's about it for now. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and thanks again so much to everyone reading my story so far. I truly appreciate it to everyone. Next time, how will our Persona users manage to get out of this situation? We shall see! Till next time!**


	42. Escaping The Haunted Manor

**Chapter 42 is finally here! Not much to say this time as I hope you are all currently enjoying the story so far. I hope you all also enjoy this chapter as well. Also this chapter has a recommended music track as well. As always if you have anything you wish to comment on, point out, etc, don't be afraid to do so. I thank you all for reading and supporting this story so far, and hope you continue to enjoy with this next chapter. **

* * *

_*** After School Spirits Club (Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth) ***_

Minato felt his head was ringing as he slowly felt something warm and wet, licking his face. His eyes slowly opened up, as he saw Koromaru was trying to wake him up, very concerned. He slowly rose from the floor, holding his right hand over his head and looked around. He saw laid around him were Fuuka, Ken, Aigis, and Teddie who were all currently on the ground, currently knocked out. He noticed that everyone else they were with, were currently not in the room they were in.

"Koro-chan, let's wake up everyone else first," Minato said, as Koromaru barked in agreement. Minato went up to Fuuka and Ken, and extremely gently began to shake them, in an attempt to wake them up, and spoke their names while Koromaru went over to Aigis and Teddie and began to gently nudge, lick, and bark at them to wake up. Soon the remaining four in the room began to wake up.

"Owww… where the heck are we?" Teddie whined as he slowly got up.

"Where is everyone else as well?" Ken questioned as he awoke.

"It seems they were sent to different parts of our… current location if I were to fathom a guess," Aigis stated, as she looked around.

"That current location being… Bowser &amp; Dedede's Haunted Manor," Fuuka spoke a bit concerned. They all stood up to get a good look around. They were in a room that appeared to be piles of plush toys all around the room (that seemed to be based on various creatures from Kirby's world as they all looked very life-like) and four grandfather clocks that had a toy motif, and were each colored red, blue, yellow, and green in that order respectively, next to each other. The clock hands for the four grandfather clocks were all around, for each one. The only lights shown in the room was candles that that were attached to scones on the walls, They all noticed what appeared to be a pillar holding a glass container in the front of the grandfather clocks that held appeared to be a locked square glass case, with a pink key that had a heart insignia on its handle. Finally they noticed a door nearby that had a symbol of a heart design on it, that was held onto the door with what appeared to be a piece of paper attached with… what appeared to a knife dripped in red liquid that was hopefully not derived from a living human being, and was just for decoration.

"**WAH**! I want out of this place!" Teddie screamed in panic as he immediately ran to the door and immediately tried to open it. However it was locked, and as soon as Teddie realized, he began to bang on it wildly, trying to desperately escape.

"Please calm down Teddie!" Fuuka pleaded, as Teddie continued to freak out. The rest of them just ended up sighing, and then Aigis walked up to Teddie and picked him up by his left arm, as Teddie continued to shake within her grasp.

"Shall I apply immense pressure to your pressure points to calm you down Teddie?" Aigis asked with a curious demeanor. This caused Teddie's face to really freak out, and he ended up just sighing, as he began to take deep breaths. "I suppose it will not be necessary then,"

Koromaru began to bark as they all paid attention to the Shiba Inu, and Aigis listened as she began to translate for the dog.

"Koromaru-san says we should look at the note posted on the door, and see if it has anything to say," Aigis translated. The rest of them walked up to the door, as Ken decided to carefully take the note off the bloody looking knife that was stuck onto the door and began to read it out loud, for everyone else to hear.

"The red grips north, the blue grabs east, the yellow holds south, and the green clasps west. Can you figure it out? Also if playtime begins, then everything ends…" Ken read out loud. They all looked at each other feeling at unease. Needless to say they were all a little confused.

"Colors and directions…" Minato mused out loud as he along with Fuuka looked around the room as they decided to see what made sense with those words. "Also the note said that if playtime begins, everything ends…"

"That doesn't sound good," Ken said nervously with a smile as he tried to put on a brave face, but was having difficulty doing so, as he didn't want to be appear nervous. "Minato-san… while we're speaking, this place kind of reminds me of the time we were stuck in that Evil Spirit Club labyrinth during that incident…"

"Don't worry Ai-chan! I won't let any Shadows, or whatever lurks in this manor to get at you!" Teddie proclaimed, while Ken, Minato, and Fuuka just simply sighed from hearing that.

"That shall not be necessary," Aigis said bluntly, while Teddie fell over, and whined why his efforts to win her over failed. "But it is appreciated. Going back to the subject, if that is the case Ken-san… than I wonder how Mitsuru and the others are currently faring in this manor?"

"You did like scaring her with the creepy dolls you found in that labyrinth, didn't you Aigis?" Minato said, while Aigis smiled and nodded. "In any rate, I have a decent idea what our little puzzle involves,"

"It involves the grandfather clocks, right Minato?" Fuuka asked, as Minato nodded. It seemed they both had a strong idea, of what to do.

"What do you mean Fuuka-san?" Ken asked, a bit confused. Both Minato and Fuuka pointed at the grandfather clocks and Ken realized that the colors spoken, meant the four grandfather clocks in the room. They each matched a color in the note. "That makes a lot more sense."

"Indeed they do Ken. Even the directions correspond with the grandfather clocks," Fuuka replied back.

"North, east, south, and west… perhaps they relate to the clock hands, that each grandfather clock has?" Aigis suggested. "Perhaps the number twelve represents north, the number three represents east, the number six represents south, and the number nine represents west?

"That's the same conclusion myself and Fuuka came to Aigis," Minato replied with a smirk. "I bet that if we solve this puzzle, we can get that pink heart shaped key out of its glass cage, which we can use to open that heart marked door, so we can get out of this room,"

"It kind of reminds me of those escape the room attractions, they have back in Japan," Fuuka remarked, as she remembered seeing such things. "I heard they were popular in other countries as well,"

"But what does the note mean by, if playtime begins, then everything ends?" Ken asked nervously. Everyone else were confused and unsure, but they still did not like the sounds of that.

"I don't know really to be honest, but I don't want to stick around and find out. Let's get these colored grandfather clocks and their clock hands in the proper directions," Minato said, as the rest of the group with him nodded. Minato, Fuuka, Aigis, and Ken, went to each grandfather clock, and began to move the clock hands around, trying to put each colored grandfather clock with their corresponding color. This left Koromaru and Teddie to watch them do this. Teddie just sighed as he felt this was kind of boring. He looked around the room, and saw the plush toys.

"They all look like cute plush toys! I want to to grab some of these and bring them out of the mansion!" Teddie exclaimed, as he leaped into a pile of Waddle Dee plush toys. Koromaru barked to Teddie, as Teddie greedily grabbed some.

"I don't know what you're saying Koromaru, but I don't care! I want to get all these plush toys out!" Teddie replied, while Koromaru whined. While this happened, the other four managed to get the clock hands for each grandfather clock facing their respective directions. When that happened, a little slot beneath the clock, popped out, holding a small silver key, causing the other four members to grin. Teddie then looked around and saw another pile of plush toys that looked peculiar. They looked like orange ball like creatures, with pointy cat like ears, and had a cute face with blue eyes. They were what appeared to be plush toys based on a creature from Kirby's world called Scarfy. "Those look really cute, whatever they are!"

Teddie then jumped towards that pile of plush toys that he was eyeing, while Minato, Fuuka, Aigis, and Ken just unlocked the glass cage that held the pink heart key, as Minato picked it up. However as soon as Teddie landed on the pile of the plush toys he was eyeing, he was going to regret that. The cute pile of plush toys Teddie jumped onto… weren't plush toys at all. They were actual living Scarfies that had remained still and didn't move. Till now at least, till they all rose up and looked at Teddie angrily.

"**WAHHHHHH! THE TOYS ARE ALIVE!**" Teddie screamed in panic. Minato stared back agitated at them, while the others stared at the Scarfies with concerned expressions.

"According to my sensors, they actually appear to be living creatures Teddie," Aigis stated. Then something really freaky just occurred. All the Scarfies had their cute face, transform into a terrifying one. They now had a huge cyclops looking eye that glared at them, and a big mouth with four fangs. Minato's face grew more agitated while the others became one of more concern and now panic.

"**THAT WAS WHAT THE NOTE MEANT BY IF PLAYTIME BEGINS, EVERYTHING ENDS!**" Ken screamed in fear, while they all started to back away. Koromaru barked at them, trying to intimidate them, but they slowly moved closer to them, still glaring. Minato immediately ran towards the heart marked door and used the pink heart shaped key to unlock it. He opened the door, and immediately motioned for the others to enter it, as it led to a hallway. The others immediately ran out, as he slammed the door back, and locked it from the outside. The Scarfies banged on the door from the inside, as monstrous like growls emerged from them, as Minato held the door against his back, hoping they stop while everyone looked at unease. Eventually the banging stopped, as the Scarfies stopped as they grew tired and gave up. Everyone in the hallway just sighed, and they noticed at the end of the hallway, they saw another door marked with a heart symbol.

"Let's keep going. We need to find the others," Minato said, as the five others with him nodded, as they began to walk towards the other door marked with the heart symbol.

* * *

We now go back to earlier, and switch to a different part of the haunted manor. We see Yu slowly waking up as he held his head and rubbed his eyes, as he slowly collected his bearings. He stood up and looked around and saw Akihiko, Shinjiro, Mitsuru, Rise, and Naoto on the ground knocked out.

"I better wake them up before doing anything else," Yu said to himself quietly as he gently shook and nudged the others on the ground. They all slowly, but surely, woke up as they all slowly collected their own bearings.

"My head feels like the times whenever, Little Mac managed to knock me out," Akihiko whined, as he slowly got up. "Also, where's everyone else?"

"Where the hell are we as well Aki?" Shinjiro whined himself as he slowly looked around. Mitsuru had a tense expression appear on her face, as she tried to smile.

"It appears… we are in that place that Bowser and Dedede constructed…" Mitsuru said uneasily, as she tried to remain professional.

"Bowser &amp; Dedede's Haunted Manor," Naoto stated out loud, while Rise did not look happy whatsoever.

"This place gives me the creeps! It's like that Evil Spirit Club labyrinth!" Rise shouted, as she was definitely not pleased being in her current location. Mitsuru had a anxious expression appear on her face when she heard that from Rise, as she tried to stay calm. "This is so lame!"

They all took a good look around and noticed the type of room they were in. It was a very large room that was filled with what appeared to be… stuffed animals and mounted animal heads along the walls that were all of different kinds of birds that all had red switches near them. They also noticed various fur rugs of various animals that were on the ground. The only lights in the room were candles that were attached to the scones on the walls similar to the room with the grandfather clocks. They noticed nearby a small glass container sitting atop a stone pillar, and within it was a green key with a club design. The door nearby had a club symbol marked on it, and a dagger holding up a note, with the note covered in some sort of red liquid that hopefully looked just like blood. The six slowly walked to the note and Yu carefully removed the dagger and began to read the note out loud.

"What is the name of a bird that can lift the heaviest weight? Pick the right button by the right animal, or your night might become Boo-ring!" Yu read out loud. They all looked at Yu with confused eyes.

"Boo…ring? Not boring?" Akihiko questioned as it sounded weird to him.

"Is that a typo or something?" Shinjiro asked, also unsure what to make off it.

"Perhaps it is, perhaps it isn't. But we should be wary to not touch any of the buttons till we solve this puzzle we have been given," Mitsuru noted.

"I concur. We have to be careful so things don't become as stated in that note," Naoto added on, as they all began to eye the various stuffed birds and mounted animal bird heads.

"Let's get started then. I really rather get out of here as soon as possible," Rise said, with everyone else nodding in agreement. They all began to look at all the various stuffed birds in the room. They all looked at the various birds which was quite the stuffed collection. From owls, toucans, red robins, flamingos, woodpeckers, kiwis, parrots, ducks, chickens, penguins and so on. From the ordinary to the more extraordinary.

"Hmmm… this is making me want to get into bird watching as a hobby," Yu mumbled to himself.

"That's something we can worry about if we manage to get out of here sempai," Rise said quietly as she looked around.

"Can lift the heaviest weight…" Mitsuru mused, as she thought about the brain teaser given to them more in detail.

"The name of a bird…" Naoto added on with her own musing, as both of them wondered if there was more to this brain teaser then written.

"It's got to be some really strong bird." Akihiko said out loud. "Like a… I don't know… a pterodactyl?"

"Wait… what?" Shinjiro asked with a really confused expression.

"It's commonly theorized that birds are descended from dinosaurs," Akihiko said.

"Yeah but do you see any… dinosaur models or mounted heads or anything?" Shinjiro said with rolled eyes.

"Hey I was just suggesting. I don't see you coming up with anything Shinji!" Akihiko retorted.

"Because I don't have anything worth suggesting yet. Unlike you with the whole dinosaur thing. Your mind must be messed up from all that protein crap you constantly shove down into your mouth," Shinjiro replied.

"Hey! It's not crap, it's good for my developing muscles!" Akihiko replied, and this continued as both Shinjiro and Akihiko kept arguing. Everyone else watching stared blankly at them.

"I remember them doing this a lot during the labyrinths," Yu mused out loud, while the others with him nodded in agreement, as they recalled such moments as well.

"Anyway… I think I solved the challenge we were given to us," Naoto stated with a slight smirk.

"Really? What's the answer?" Rise asked curiously.

"It's the name that matters… right?" Mitsuru asked, as she was confident she also worked out the brain teaser with her own smirk. Naoto nodded back to Mitsuru with her own confident smirk.

"It's the crane," Naoto said simply, as she walked to the stuffed crane that was in the room. She confidently pressed the button. A click like sound was heard coming from the class cage holding the green club marked key, and she had no trouble removing the glass now, as she picked up the key with ease.

"How is it the crane?" Rise asked curiously.

"A crane can also refer to a construction crane besides being the name of a bird. Cranes in construction are commonly used to pick up many heavy objects during construction work," Mitsuru explained.

"Our note we were given said what is the name of a bird that can lift the heaviest weight... the name was more significant than the actual bird," Naoto also added. "Thus the crane was the correct answer,"

"Very nice job Mitsuru-san and Naoto," Yu said, as both smiled back at the friendly response. Suddenly they all heard something concerning.

"Take that back!" Akihko shouted.

"No way Aki. When we get out of this place and back to Smash Tower, I'm going to shove all that protein crap to the garbage can!" Shinjiro replied back.

"I'll shove you Shinji!" Akihiko said, as he pushed Shinjiro. Shinjiro was pushed forward and was knocked into a stuffed penguin, and unfortunately landed on the button near it. Suddenly the room had an alarm ring out briefly.

"That can't be good," Yu said as he just sighed. Suddenly the alarm stopped and they all began to hear somewhat creepy laughter fill the room. Suddenly many spherical white ghost like creatures appeared. They were Boos, and they were ghosts that had a reputation for liking to scare people. For some reason they were all covering their faces with their hands looking shy. But these Boos weren't really shy, as they pretended to do so. They then revealed their faces and had a ghostly laugh as they showed off their black beady eyes, large pink tongues, and sharp teeth they had.

"**I DON'T LIKE THIS PLACE AT ALL!"** Rise shrieked as dealing with ghosts was something she did not want to deal with.

"Look at what your unnecessary arguing has brought, Akihiko and Shinjiro!" Mitsuru reprimanded angrily, as she felt fear present on her face, as her eyes paled and her lips quivered, as both Akihiko and Shinjiro started to back away from the ghosts, looking concerned. Naoto immediately went to the club marked door, and using the key she had to open it, as she also did not want to stay in this room as well. They all ran out, and got into a hallway and immediately closed the door and hoped that the Boos did not gave chase. All they heard was eerie laughter that eventually faded away, as the ghosts had fun scaring the teenagers away and felt they had enough. They all took a moment to breathe and calm down.

"When we get out of here, I'll make sure to find a suitable execution for you both!" Mitsuru scolded with frustration, as both Akihiko and Shinjiro looked embarrassed.

"Let's agree to disagree Shinji," Akihiko said.

"Agreed," Shinjiro said, not wanting to agitate Mitsuru any further.

"Can we please move on? I see another door at the end of this hallway," Rise said hurriedly as she pointed towards the end of the hallway. They all saw a door that bore the club symbol on it, just like the one they exited out of.

"This key we have should hopefully also open that one," Naoto stated out loud. "We should also try to find our friends and reunite with them, besides also trying to escape from this haunted manor,"

"Agreed. Let's move on," Yu said as they all began to walk towards the door, with the rest of their current group following along.

* * *

We now go back a bit again, and this time we focus on a different group. We see Junpei, Yosuke, Kanji, Chie, Yukiko and Yukari all in what appeared to be a backyard that had very metal fences that had barbed wire near the top. That had multiple graves nearby and a giant dog house at the end that could easily fit people inside it. The doghouse for some reason had no light within, as the entrance just showed pure darkness inside. Sound of loud barking could soon be heard, causing them all to wake up.

"Okay Muku, I'll give you an extra doggie treat," Chie mumbled as she slowly started to wake up.

"Come on dog. Don't bother me when I go to someone's house," Yosuke whined as he slowly awakened.

"Am I at a pet store?" Kanji mumbled to himself, as he liked to visit such places in his free time, as he slowly woke up.

"No pets allowed at the Amagi Inn. I apologize," Yukiko yawned as she woke up, rubbing her eyes, and got up.

"Is it my turn to walk Koromaru? I thought it was Yuka-tan's turn," Junpei said as he slowly got up.

"No it's your turn Junpei. I'm pretty sure it's yours," Yukari answered back tiredly, as she slowly woke up and got up.

The six now stood up and looked around. They all had feared expressions, as they looked around. They noticed they appeared to be in a backyard that was filled with tombstones and buried dirt to each one. They noticed behind them that there was a door that was marked with a diamond symbol (like the club, also the same kind you see from a deck of playing cards) and a knife that had red liquid on it, pinning a white note to the door. Also next to the door was a shovel. The only light shown in this area was from the stars and full moon in the night sky. Realization soon hit them all, as they realized where they were.

"**I WANT OUT OF HERE!"** Chie screamed as she did not like spooky places.

"This haunted manor… it's just like that Evil Spirit Club Labyrinth!" Yukari said as her eyes paled, as she recalled that place, from that adventure both SEES and the Investigation Team had.

"Awww… is Chie being a big baby again, just like that time as well?" Yosuke teased, as he couldn't resist poking fun.

"I can say the same for Yuka-tan. She hated that place as well," Junpei pointed out, while both Chie and Yukari gritted their teeth at both boys from hearing that. Before both girls could reply, Yukiko began to laugh wildly, causing everyone else to stare at her with blank expressions.

"I actually had a really fun time during that labyrinth! It was real exhilarating!" Yukiko said as she laughed merrily, while everyone else just sighed from hearing that.

"Well I didn't. Getting stuck with Yosuke sempai along with a bunch of other dudes while he had to use the bathroom was real awkward just because some really scary FOE showed up," Kanji said while Yosuke looked angry from hearing that, while Junpei began to whistle as he didn't want to be reminded of that moment. It was a very cramped moment.

"Anyway! We… we got to get out of here! Let's check out what that note says!" Yosuke said, wanting to change the subject desperately as he walked to the door and began to read it. "If you no longer wished to be chained, you must feed the dog bones that are dry. Beware of getting chomped!"

Chie walked over to the door, and tried opening it, but found it was locked much to her displeasure. She began to kick at it, and found it to be futile.

"We really have to get the key from that dog house?" Chie said, as she had a bad feeling about this.

"Well the others aren't with us… and we got to find them," Yukari pointed out.

"It could be a really mean dog," Kanji pointed out.

"No way. It can't be that bad. Forget getting some dry bones or whatever! Let's just go into the dog house, and grab the key and that's it," suggested Junpei.

"I agree… so I nominate Kanji to do it!" Yosuke suggested. Kanji looked at Yosuke with a confused and annoyed expression.

"Wait… why me!? Why do I have to go into the doghouse!?" Kanji said, annoyed with being delegated the task.

"Because… I'm vice leader and what I say goes!" Yosuke boasted while Chie rolled her eyes.

"Is he always like this?" Yukari whispered to Chie, with Chie nodding in response.

"Yosuke! Don't force Kanji to do something he doesn't want to do!" Chie shouted annoyed.

"Fine Chie… why don't you and Yukari do it then!" Yosuke replied with a snicker, while Junpei laughed at the suggestion, while Yukari's face contorted to one of slight panic, and Chie's face had some anger form on her face. Once again before both could reply, Yukiko said something that caught their attention.

"Why don't we all do it? That way it's fair for all of us. Besides I'm not afraid, at least at the moment," Yukiko suggested. They all looked at Yukiko uneasily, but they admitted that seemed to be the best idea and one they wouldn't have to constantly argue. They all walked towards the dog house as the barking could be heard getting angrier.

"Umm nice… doggie… we come in peace?" Chie meekly said out loud. Suddenly the dog within the house moved out of the house and all their faces (except Yukiko who had a curious expression instead) became pale. It was a giant metallic black spherical creature that was chained to something in the doghouse, and had a huge amount of sharp teeth. This creature was a Chain Chomp, and they were known to have dog like qualities. It barked angrily, as it lunged towards them, causing them all to scream in fear (except Yukiko) as they ran away from it. Luckily for them, its chain stopped the beast, and it merely whined, going back into its doghouse. The others began to breathe hard, as their heart pounded trying to calm down.

"That thing was scary!" Yukari shouted out, trying to calm down.

"Okay… let's find it some dry bones or whatever to feed it, so we can get that key inside its doghouse!" Chie suggested, as she did not want to remain here, any longer she didn't have too.

"We do have that shovel nearby to dig up the graves," Yukiko pointed out. "I guess… the dry bones is in one or some of them,"

"Well we better get started. I'll go first," Junpei said as he volunteered. He went to the shovel and grabbed it and went to one grave. He began digging its dirt pile, but after a while it's clear it had nothing.

"Give it to me. I'll try another one," Yosuke said, as Junpei handed him the shovel. Yosuke picked another grave and began digging. Unfortunately it also became apparent this grave also had nothing.

"Three is the charm? I'll take a crack at it," Kanji asked. He picked another grave and began digging, and luckily enough had managed to get something. "Hey guys! I think I found something!"

Everyone crowded around the grave that Kanji dug around. It appeared to be… a skeletal Koopa that wore white gloves and white shoes. This was a Dry Bones.

"Ugh. This thing is creepy." Yukari said with disgust and slight fear.

"I hope it doesn't come back to life. Might scare you and Chie off!" Yosuke snickered.

"Knock it off Yosuke!" Chie said angrily and with slight fear.

"Well regardless, we got to feed it to that beast that lives in the dog house," Junpei said.

"Umm… its eyes are glowing yellow?" Yukiko said curiously. They all turned to look at her confused, but suddenly noticed what Yukiko meant. The Dry Bones slowly rattled and moved as yellow spheres of light appeared in its eye sockets. They all screamed in fear while Yukiko thought it was interesting that it actually reanimated, and it began to approach them.

"**TAKE THIS YOU SKELETON FREAK!**" Kanji screamed as he suddenly used his shovel to bludgeon the Dry Bones. It fell back down with its bones separated. Kanji along with the others stared back at it, relieved it stopped moving. However its eyes began to glow yellow again, and its bones began to reanimate and come together, causing everyone but Yukiko to freak out again. Kanji promptly hit it again with the shovel he carried, to knock it back down.

"I got it! We hit the skeleton in front of the doghouse! Then we get that dog thing out to eat on its bones to distract it!" Yukiko exclaimed.

"I guess it couldn't hurt to try. Let's do it!" Yukari said as she agreed with the plan.

"But who's going to run into the doghouse to get the key, once it's distracted?" Junpei asked, unsure.

"I nominate Yosuke! He's the fastest runner out of us all!" Chie suggested.

"All in favor?" Kanji asked, before Yosuke could say anything, as everyone else raised their hand in agreement. Yosuke gritted his teeth in frustration but just ended up sighing and going along with it.

As the Dry Bones got back up, they all carefully moved towards the front of the giant doghouse as the Dry Bones approached them. Kanji then whacked it again, knocking it back down as its bones separated again. Chie ran to one of the sides of the doghouse, and did a kick against it, gulping. Soon the Chain Chomp came out and barked angrily, but it then noticed the Dry Bones. Needless to say, the Dry Bones soon became a tasty meal as the Chain Chomp began to chomp on it. Yosuke seeing this, hurriedly ran into the dog house and noticed a blue key with a diamond symbol was atop the wooden post, the Chain Chomp was chained too. He immediately ran towards the key, grabbed it, and ran out of the doghouse as he did not want to get chomped on by the Chain Chomp, like the skeleton Koopa.

"Let's get the hell out of here!" Yosuke yelled out triumphantly as he went towards the door marked with the diamond symbol. He opened the door, and the other five immediately ran in and he closed it as they were now in a hallway. "I better get some more props and candy for this or something!"

"We can worry about that, when we really get out of this place!" Chie said, still annoyed at Yosuke's earlier comments.

"Plus we still need to find the others," Yukari added on. "That key was pretty useful,"

"That key we have can probably also open the door down the hallway it looks like," Yukiko pointed out, as they all noticed the door at the end had a diamond symbol marked on it.

"Should I keep the shovel with us?" Kanji asked. They all turned to him and noticed he was still carrying the shovel he used earlier.

"Sure dude. Now let's get moving!" Junpei said, as they all walked towards the door.

* * *

We now switch scenes to an unknown location within Bowser &amp; Dedede's Haunted Manor. We see Bowser and Dedede in a large room that oddly enough had lava towards the side. Both kings had a ton of candy nearby them as well. Bowser was happily snacking away on a lot of candy, while Dedede snacked nervously with the lava nearby.

"Was the lava really necessary to add to the basement? This was not in my version of this place," Dedede whined as he didn't want to fall into it, as he was currently enjoying a jawbreaker in his mouth.

"Relax. It's just for the awesome aesthetics, assuming we don't fall into it. Also that's funny coming from the guy who came up with a haunted attraction where one can actually hurt themselves in." Bowser retorted while he happily ate a chocolate bar. "Anyway, I bet those chumps are having a hard time! Wouldn't want to be them! They can't get out unless they have this!"

Bowser held what appeared to be a golden key, with a spade symbol marked on it. Both kings laughed and happily continued to eat their sweets. We now go to a different part of the manor, as we see the foyer. The foyer area had a door on the left, the right, the back, and the front which had two entrance door, and a large hole with stair case downwards. The door from the left had a heart symbol marked on it, the door on the right had a club symbol on it, the door on the back had a diamond symbol on it, and the door on the front had the symbols of spades on them. Every door beside the two entrance doors marked with spades opened at the same time, and everyone had just saw each other. They all immediately ran towards each other, glad to be reunited, as they all began to question each other.

"Why are you holding a shovel Kanji?" Teddie asked curiously.

"We kind of needed it," Kanji said awkwardly.

"It's a long story. One that involves skeleton Koopas and a monstrous dog creature," Yukiko said in response.

"While that sounds bad, we dealt with actual ghosts! Ghosts!" Rise said, as she still wanted to get out of the area.

"We dealt with some very scary creatures. Creatures that went from cute and cuddly to the opposite," Ken explained.

"Well the important thing is we're all safe together again," Fuuka said, as they all nodded in agreement. Koromaru began to bark, as Aigis translated.

"What now? That is what Koromaru asked," Aigis asked.

"Now is the time to escape this place!" Yukari said, with Chie nodding in agreement. Chie walked to the entrance doors marked with the spade symbols, and tried to open it. Unfortunately for her, they were locked, causing her to whine.

"**OH NO! THE DOORS ARE LOCKED**… **AGAIN!**" Chie screamed as she hated still being stuck in this place.

"Like I said… big baby," Yosuke whispered to Junpei.

"Better not let her, hear that dude," Junpei whispered back. In the meantime they all looked at the entrance doors and noticed something about it.

"Hearts… clubs… diamonds… and now spades," Naoto mused out loud.

"They all make up the four symbols you see in a playing card deck," Akihiko pointed out.

"Well that's way more informative then dinosaurs and birds. But yeah they do," Shinjiro said. Akihiko was about to retort angrily before Mitsuru glared at the two.

"Need I remind you two?" Mitsuru commented. Both Akihiko and Shinjiro simply sighed, while Yu decided to say something.

"Anyway… we need to find a key that has a spade symbol on it. That's what will open those doors," Yu stated. They all looked around and all noticed the hole that had stairs leading down. Some looked nervous, some looked antsy, and some looked ready to get this over with.

"Let's check it out. Hopefully it has the key we need to get out of here," Minato said as they all walked towards the hole and now down the stairs. We see Bowser and King Dedede happily snacking away as they kept eating sweets.

"You know, I wonder how Juinor's Halloween is going?" Bowser said out loud.

"Oh I'm sure he's fine. Ness, Lucas, and the other young fighters are nice. He'll be… oh crud!" Dedede tried to answer till he freaked out from seeing some familiar faces. Bowser looked confused till Dedede pointed forward. Bowser snarled as he saw the many familiar faces, that Dedede pointed out.

"Well if it isn't Blue Mint and his chump pals! You guys do have actual brains to tease after all!" Bowser taunted. Minato just rolled his eyes at the comment.

"Just give us the spade key for their respective doors, so we can leave this place," Minato answered back, somewhat irritably.

"Fine… that will be your treat for Halloween from me!" Bowser shouted as he tossed the golden spade key towards them. Yu caught it with his hands. "Now for me to give you my trick for Halloween! Take this chumps!"

Bowser then held a black bomb with a lit fuse and rolled it towards them like a bowling ball, causing everyone to panic. Minato however quickly formed an idea. He grabbed Kanji's shovel out of the nervous guy's hands, and decided to show Bowser why that was a bad move. He swung the shovel at the rolling bomb, and it was hit back towards the two kings who suddenly had comical panicky expressions form on their faces. Before they could do anything, the bomb exploded, as tons of candy went flying all over. King Dedede fell down, covered in black soot and writhed in pain, while Bowser had rather bad luck in comparison. Bowser was covered in soot and now noticed he was blasted over the lava towards one of the sides of the room. Once he noticed this as his face went nervous, he comically flapped his arms like a bird and then tried to swim in the air, as cartoon physics somehow applied for the moment, as everyone else in the room, including King Dedede saw this. Bowser soon lost to the laws of gravity, as soon as cartoon physics stopped applying, and he crashed into the lava and frantically tried to swim out of it, until he submerged under it. Everyone just stared blankly at the sight, not sure how to react.

"Did Bowser just fall into the lava?" Yu said awkwardly unsure of how to react. Everyone else slowly nodded, not sure how to react still. Suddenly lava bubbles began to form and pop out from where Bowser fell, and soon a very disturbing sight came out of it, and leaped back onto the ground. It was a skeletal form of Bowser. His spiked collars he wore on his now skeletal body were now a very dull dark red, his hair miraculously didn't all burn off as it now had a ponytail style similar to his youngest son, his snout which was now pure bone became more beak shaped, his shell was now a charcoal grey and back, with lava red scarlet lines and rings around his spikes, longer and more curved horns, more triangular sockets that now had glowing orange red glowing eyes within them, and a bony brow that made him look more angry. Bowser… or rather Dry Bowser was now present and very angry.

"**GGGGRAH**!" Dry Bowser angrily roared out in an undead like tone they've never heard before as his whole bony body rattled, adding to the intimidation his monstrous roar had, as blue fire leaked from his mouth and leaked onto the ground. Everyone from SEES, the Investigation Team, and even King Dedede screamed in fear, as they never saw the Koopa King like this, and he was truly terrifying to them. Dry Bowser immediately leaped to the air and began stomping the ground repeatedly, as the whole manor began to shake.

"He's going to bring down the whole manor! We have to get out of here!" Yelled Fuuka, as everyone else nodded in agreement with her, as they all began to run back upstairs, as Dry Bowser roared more angrily and monstrously as he threw his temper tantrum, as he continued to leap and stomp the ground. We now see Kamek outside the manor as he was happily eating a hot dog, till he felt the ground shake.

"Huh? What's going on?" Kamek said to himself, as he looked at the haunted manor, and saw the whole place began to shake. He then saw the front doors unlock as he saw all the ones he transported in earlier, along with King Dedede run out with extreme panic and fear on their faces, as he was just dumbfounded and wondering what was even happening. Everyone nearby was staring blankly wondering what was going on. Soon the manor collapsed on itself as tons of debris was now down, and dust filled the air. Under the debris, who was trapped as only his head, arms, and the upper part of his torso was free, with the rest of his skeleton body trapped was Dry Bowser who looked very mad. "**OH DEAR! MASTER BOWSER I'LL FIX YOU UP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! WHAT HAPPENED!?**"

Dry Bowser looked at Kamek, looking peeved and then looked towards the ones who just escaped the manor. The SEES and Investigation Team members all had paled and feared expressions on their faces, and immediately decided to run off. This just left King Dedede who looked back at Dry Bowser, dumbfounded and frozen in fear. Dry Bowser feeling the need to vent his anger out, let out a stream of blue fire, and King Dedede screamed in comical pain, as he was lit and when the blue fire stopped, was covered in a lot more black soot compared to before. King Dedede fell down on his back knocked out, while Dry Bowser having had enough, felt too exhausted and saw stars now, while Kamek could just shake his head, with lots of people nearby walking away in fear.

"Happy Halloween I guess," Kamek mumbled as he shrugged and knew he was in for a busy time, now having to fix his master as good as new.

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

**So how was the chapter? One I hope you all enjoyed. Time for notes.  
**

**1\. The third dungeon in Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth is the Evil Spirit Club. A lot of the personalities and ways the characters act in this chapter for the most part, adhere to how those characters acted during that dungeon and in Persona Q in general. They even reference such moments like the bathroom thing with Yosuke. An FOE for those who don't know are special powerful enemies in Persona Q, that the players should avoid, to progress through the dungeon normally, unless they feel they can handle them.**

**2\. The concept of escape the room, are real attractions in real life. Also there are game series that have it as a gameplay concept such as the Zero Escape series. **

**2\. Scarfies are famous enemies from Kirby games that look cute upon appearance, but show a monstrous side to them once contact is made with them usually. They have first appeared since the first game in the series, Kirby's Dream Land.**

**3\. Boos are the famous ghosts from the Mario series that first appeared in Super Mario Bros 3.**

**4\. Chain Chomps and Dry Bones are also both famous enemies that first appeared in Super Mario Bros 3.**

**5\. The manor had influence from Luigi's Mansion. The room with the clocks is somewhat based on the Clockwork Room in Luigi's Mansion, the room with the stuffed birds is somewhat based on the Safari Room in Luigi's Mansion, and the Boneyard and Graveyard areas from Luigi's Mansion also influenced the backyard area in this manor. Also the four keys they found are based off the same exact keys you get in Luigi's Mansion when you defeat the Boss of Area 1, Area 2, Area 3, and the golden spade key is from defeating a specific Portrait Ghost to allow access to the final boss of the game. Luigi's Mansion is also a stage from Super Smash Bros Brawl, and returned in the Wii U version of Smash Bros.  
**

**6\. Dry Bowser is a form of Bowser that first debuted in New Super Mario Bros, where once Bowser takes a dunk into lava in the first castle, becomes his skeletal form till endgame once he's revived to his old self again for the final fight. He's also been playable in certain games. **

**That's it for now. As always if you have anything you wish to say, go for it. Otherwise I ****hope you all enjoyed this chapter, as we enter November finally with next chapter and get closer to the end, and the story so far. Till next time!  
**


	43. When The Woods Are Clanky

**Finally the next chapter is upon us! I apologize as I have recently been working at another job besides my regular one, and have been extremely busy as of late. I am glad to get this next chapter out. I want to address the previous reviews, and then say some things before moving on.**

**Thunderbird03, thank you so much for the in depth review and don't worry about coming off as too critical. I highly appreciated your words and what you had to say. I do admit the sentences can come off as a bit basic. It is something definitely noted for the future, though I had an issue in the past over complicating my sentences. Thank you for reading and reviewing my story so far.**

**To dash Master 48, yeah I agree. Thinking back on it, it would have been a nice chance to show such reactions. Something I will note for future stories. I also thank you for taking the time to read and review my story.**

**Just some things I like to say. This chapter will feature a music track you may want to listen too if you want, at a certain point as always. Also after this chapter, we'll be focusing less on our two trouble kings (Melee and Brawl reference right there to both their Event Modes) as the shift will focus. That doesn't mean they're gone from the story, but for a brief (and depending on how things go, can be very short or not) period. That's it for now. I hope you are all enjoying this story so far, and I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

It was now November 1st. The air outside has become even more brisker as the temperature was now colder compared to the month of October, and all the trees were now painted fully with the colors of brown, yellow, orange, and red as every tree was now practically at the point, where all the green leaves have changed. It was morning as the sun was rising, covering New York City with its warm and bright glow. We now cut to the Smashing Theater as all the fighters were called for a meeting in the morning. Everyone stared at Bowser and King Dedede with confused, amused, or concerned expressions depending on the individual as the two were covered in white bandages and looked beat up. Though in Bowser's case, at least he was back to his normal self as Kamek thankfully used his magic to turn his skeletal form from Halloween night, back to normal.

"What's the deal? You two decided to be mummies for Halloween last night?" Falco taunted while both Bowser and Dedede shot Falco an annoyed glare in response. "Just asking. Geez Louise, never mind,"

"I see you're all here," spoke the ever familiar voice of The Master, which caused all the discussion in the room to be silenced. "I shall cut right to the chase of why I asked all of you to be here this morning. As I have said in our previous meeting, Amiibos featuring all of you will be released this month. But I did never say when in November they would start selling,"

"Having my own figure for people to purchase… how amusing," Bayonetta commented with a smile, as she along with Cloud and Corrin had recently come to learn about Amiibos as well. Cloud just shrugged, not really caring about it either way, while Corrin wondered if he should pick some up for his friends and family back home.

"When they will start selling, is November 27th this month." The Master stated.

"November 27th? That's the day after Thanksgiving!" Pac-Man pointed out with a big smile, as he and his appetite (along with the chance to be with his family again of course) rejoiced. Kirby and Yoshi could be heard cheering happily as the thought of many tasty foods come that day, was very appealing.

"Also known as Black Friday. The day where everyone shops for bargains and discounts offered that day," Samus stated calmly.

"Makes sense why one would want to release Amiibos then. They probably sell out easily," Fox stated.

"Excellent. That was all I wanted to inform you of. The ads for Amiibos will begin appearing in stores throughout the world soon, as they'll be sold worldwide. With that said… you are all dismissed…" The Master said. Before anyone could do anything else The Master however spoke again, catching all their attention. "…Except Bowser and King Dedede… please wait in this room as I have eight familiar individuals who wish to speak with you two,"

Upon hearing that, everyone in the room immediately left (though Bower Jr. wished his father the best before doing so) as the two trouble making kings remained and just looked mad and annoyed. Soon entered the eight chairmen and they soon stood in front of the two kings.

"What do you want? Can't you chairmen chumps see that we could both use a bed and a blanket to hop in right now?" Bowser whined.

"Well personally speaking you were the one who burned me," Dedede said very annoyed as he glared at Bowser, who only rolled his eyes, but he admitted to himself he did burn the portly penguin king last night.

"We heard that your haunted house thing was a big failure and all," Ash the gray wearing chairman stated bluntly. Both Bowser and Dedede cringed from hearing that and looked embarrassed.

"What about it?" Bowser said. "It failed and that's the end of it! I don't like to be reminded of stuff that failed!"

"We just thought it was amusing. Though we do have a concerning matter… related to that incident we wish to address," Azure the blue chairman, questioned.

"And what would that be?" King Dedede questioned.

"Your little exhibit involved a certain individual and his companions last night, did it not?" Jade the green chairman asked. Both Bowser and King Dedede suddenly tensed up, as they felt somewhat nervous for some reason, as comical panicked expressions appeared on their faces.

"What about Blue Mint and his pals?" Bowser mumbled, trying to sound tough but he started to realize why they took a serious tone with the two of them. King Dedede chattered his teeth, while the eight chairmen stared at the two with hostility.

"The Master spoke of the blue haired teenager during a meeting he had with you all last month, did he not?" Fuchsia the purple chairman, said in a matter of fact like manner. Both Bowser and Dedede blinked as they recalled the meeting they had. They remembered that The Master did speak about Minato.

"So?" King Dedede asked, still feeling nervous and a bit curious now, why they were bringing him up.

"Did you two forget that The Master said he's a potential newcomer?" Golden the yellow chairman, said in a cheery voice, as it somehow made both Bowser and Dedede feel nervous from hearing that.

"The Master can't have his potential newcomer if… well you know, the potential newcomer goes bye-bye and all," Sky the cyan chairman, said with a yawn. "Also for you Bowser in particular, we are aware that you sent Petey Piranha after some of his pals… too lazy to vent your anger huh?"

"Hey! I had my own reasons to sic Petey on them, though those teenagers being affiliated with Blue Mint, certainly doesn't help!" Bowser whined, as Dedede just motioned for him to keep quiet, as the penguin king wore a nervous look on his face as another chairman began to speak.

"We also have to clean up any messes with property damage and all. But back to the main point… messing around with him and his pals in that haunted mansion yesterday… could have ended badly for you two, if it ended badly for him and or them, if that makes any sense," Sunset the orange chairman playfully teased. Both kings looked like they were ready to bolt out of the room, but before they could say or do anything else, they heard the chairman that had yet to speak, finally say some words.

"In other words, he and his companions is not to be handled in such a manner, unless The Master decides otherwise. Surely you are aware The Master is always aware," Crimson the red chairman said very seriously. "Mess with his potential newcomer or his companions, and there will be punishments for you both. That is all. You two are dismissed,"

With that the eight chairmen promptly walked out of the room, while both Bowser and Dedede looked at each other, unsure of what to say. As soon as the footsteps of the eight chairmen were gone, Bowser decided to speak.

"Hmph! I've been here since the Melee Tournament and that's how those eight chairmen chumps treat me? Especially after Blue Mint turned me into a skeleton!" Bowser complained.

"A skeleton that packs a mean blue flame," Dedede whined, as he wasn't still over getting burned last night by the Koopa King. Bowser sighed as he realized he shouldn't have done that.

"Alright Dedede… I'm sorry I did that to you pal last night. I got pretty peeved after Blue Mint turned me into bones and all, and should have handled myself better. What can I do to make it up to you? Cause you are one of my best buddies here and all," Bowser said as he truly did respect his fellow king. Dedede seeing this smiled, as he gave the monstrous turtle a good firm handshake, but both cringed from the fact both were still beat up last night, as a comical pained expression popped up on their faces. Both just ended up sighing.

"Hey it's alright Bowser. As for making it up for me… why do you have it out for Minato?" Dedede asked. Bowser raised his eyebrows from hearing that, as he considered his words carefully.

"Tch. This competition is filled to the brim with fighters. Why do we have to add more?" Bowser whined. "I mean I rather it be more like the old days, where there were less chumps."

"Scared the new guys will be better then you?" Dedede taunted. Bowser had steam pop out of his head from hearing that, while Dedede laughed upon seeing that. "You always did care about your win rate, didn't you?"

"Nuh uh!" Bowser childishly replied back, but deep down, he knew that Dedede was right but would refuse to admit it to him, at least for now. "I just… want to spare the new chumps the trouble of getting knocked out by yours truly! The most awesome Koopa King ever!"

"Whatever you say Bowser." Dedede replied with rolled eyes. "I wasn't so fond of the guy at first too admittedly, but he's alright when I got to know him."

"I think you're just saying that, because that pal of his with the beanie cooks you good food sometimes, and his girlfriend bakes you cookies sometimes," Bowser grumbled as Dedede awkwardly smiled from hearing that, as he referred to Shinjiro and Fuuka. "I don't know. I just don't. But I still rather not him join. It's one thing with The Master has new people join every new tournament, since that's something none of us can really help. But Blue Mint? That punk is trying to get in... I think. Again, I rather not deal with fighting with him… anyway I got something of my own I want to talk about with you."

"And what would that be?" Dedede questioned.

"Those chairmen chumps said I can't mess around with Blue Mint anymore. Well… I was always one for taking the cookie out of the cookie jar, when I was younger, when no one was looking," Bowser explained as Dedede could see where this was going. "Well I don't feel like listening to what I just heard!"

"But you'll get in trouble, won't you?" Dedede said confused.

"Not if I mess with Blue Mint or his pals, in a way where I can't get caught! Like… what if I or we got a robot made and let it have fun? AI and all that?" Bowser replied. "I remember you told me some recent shenanigans in your world, when you, Meta Knight, and Kirby were there a while back, about some invasion from come company that wanted to turn your whole planet into some mechanized thing or something?"

"Haltmann Works Company…" Dedede said with slight fear as he remembered how his castle ended up being totaled because of them, and he had to end up repairing it, after the company was taken down by Kirby and Meta Knight. "Oh boy. I hated those robot making jerks!"

"But maybe we can get some robot they made? Or get one made in their style?" Bowser said.

"Well… I remember hearing that Kirby fought some robot made in the style of Whispy Woods… or was it Whispy Woods turned into a robot? Well either way, but won't The Master know? He's kind of... all knowing and seeing and all that," Dedede said. Bowser simply smirked with a vicious smug sharp grin.

"If he didn't mind Blue Mint heading to our Halloween attraction, where someone has to sign up of all things… granted I forced him and his chump pals into it with no choice from them but that's beside the point! The point is… if The Master really wanted to do something, he would have. Simple as that. Those chairmen chumps can be threatening all they want!" Bowser answered with enthusiasm.

"Alright I'll help you on one condition. No more after this, alright? I'm sick of Cruel Smash matches for punishments. I know we're going to so get caught for this and you better be my partner for those punishments!" Dedede whined. Bowser nodded in acknowledgement with what Dedede said and both shook hands as they both decided to prepare for making this robot. "I'm sure we got some smart minions who can come up with such a thing,"

"Fine. I hate Cruel Smash punishments but I enjoy messing with that blue haired punk and his pals even more, so let's try, for one more time!" Bowser exclaimed, as he tried to raise his right fist into the air. A bone cracking sound could be heard, as Bowser's face cringed into pain, and he comically fell onto his back, while Dedede just rolled his eyes.

* * *

We now switch scenes to the room that belonged to the chairmen. All eight of them were sitting in their respective seats and decided to hold a meeting in regards to discussing a certain potential newcomer who has yet to join them.

"So as we all know, Mr. Arisato has this month and then next month left. The time left before he faces off against The Master," Crimson stated. The rest of his brothers nodded.

"So… what's the point of this meeting? We kind of all know this already," Sunset answered while he focused on playing his 3DS.

"The point… is I believe some of us believe we should be more proactive to getting Mr. Arisato to joining this fighting tournament, as opposed to letting him fight The Master," Fuchsia stated in a matter of fact like manner.

"Why? What difference does it make?" Golden asked innocently, kind of confused.

"Well it's technically a possibility and not the most probably one, but when Mr. Arisato does inevitably face off against The Master… he may be the one to come out as the…" Azure calmly explained, as his implications were heard.

"The Master losing to him!? That ungrateful teenager who should be thankful for the opportunity he had yet to take!?" Jade snapped as he was still not fond of Minato. "Get real! The Master is going to pulverize him!"

"Some of you guys are paranoid. The Master can take him. Plus I'm feeling lazy and rather not add that onto my pile of work I already have to do," Sky yawned out.

"Like Azure said, it can happen. Some of us rather not take the risk. Plus some of us already came up with an idea to get him to join sooner. Something calm and easy," Ash stated bluntly. "Why don't you do the honors of discussing it Crimson, since you came up with the idea?"

"Very well. The idea that I had in mind was…" Crimson the red wearing chairman said, as the brothers who didn't hear it listened with intent, while those who had already heard the plan, let him explain. What that idea was, we'll just have to learn later on.

* * *

We now see the SEES members and the Investigation Team having breakfast together with Marie joining them, at a diner in the city. They were all discussing and talking general topics, the main ones being the events of what had happened yesterday. Both groups were back to wearing their usual attire, as it was no longer Halloween.

"That would have been very bad for us all, had we not escaped," Aigis stated. Koromaru barked as Aigis listened and translated for the dog. "I agree. We were very fortunate,"

"No kidding. Who have thought Bowser can keep going with nothing but bones and his hair," Junpei whined with a sigh.

"He seems to be a very resilient individual as well," Mitsuru noted. "I'm sure he views us with more hostility compared to before,"

"It's a shame. Junior is alright, compared to his own dad, at least to us," Ken whined.

"Is that so? Maybe one day we'll meet him," Yu mused out loud.

"I don't know sensei. I shouldn't judge someone without meeting them, but after dealing with Bowser, I'm sure Bowser Jr. is just as much of a handful," Teddie said.

"Speaking of royal pains, that Dedede penguin guy was a jerk too," Kanji said. "He also made that haunted death trap as well,"

"Yeah. That was pretty lame on his part," Yukari said with frustration. "Can't believe he and Bowser can be that lame,"

"I guess since they're both friends, that's why they worked together for the Hallowen attraction," Yukiko stated.

"That's just double the trouble! Being stuck in that haunted place yesterday was so bad!" Chie whined.

"Yep. Chie needs her bottle still," Yosuke said with a snicker. Chie looked like she was ready to shove her foot into Yosuke, till Rise said something that caused her to lose focus on doing that.

"Say Akihiko-san and Shinjiro-san… did Mitsuru ever give you both your execution, whatever that is?" Rise asked curiously. Both Akihiko and Shinjiro visibily cringed and flinched while Mitsuru realized she forgot to do that.

"No… no she didn't," Shinjiro said in a pained tone as he tried to not visualize himself "executed," by Mitsuru.

"But now I recall. I forgot after trying to escape the collapsing building last night," Mitsuru said with a somewhat self-assured smile. "Thank you for reminding me, Kujikawa,"

"That really won't be necessary Mitsuru," Akihiko said, trying to sound tough, but a hint of nervousness was present.

"Anyway… I suppose getting back on topic, the point is, both our teams should be more cautious in the future, with certain people." Minato said.

"Yeah. Though King Dedede can be very nice at times." Fuuka said. "I wish Bowser be nicer to us all,"

"As unfortunate as it is Yamagishi-san, some people can't be reasoned with, for whatever reasons. Or perhaps at the very least, may take an extreme amount of effort and time to reason with," Naoto added.

"Well it doesn't matter if he can be nicer, the problem is that he isn't at the moment," Marie pointed out. "Sounds like from what he and his pal made you go through last night, he has no problems with making you guys go through some mean stuff, for his fun,"

"How was Halloween for you anyway, Marie?" Yu asked.

"It was alright. I wished Theodore and Elizabeth didn't have to act to so weird, outside of the makeshift Velvet Room," Marie whined. "They already stand out enough, but every time we tried to get candy from trick or treating around the city, they both ask the weirdest questions. I know I used to do that sometimes, but not like those two,"

"Still sounds preferable to what we dealt with last night," Yosuke said. "Anyway what's on the agenda for this month for all of us? It's November and all now,"

"Thanksgiving!" Chie gleefully shouted with a big smile, while some of the others just sighed from hearing that. "Well it's true! Thanksgiving is later this month!"

"I guess we can all have a nice dinner together that day. It be very peaceful," Fuuka said, as she had a mental image of all of the SEES members and the Investigation Team having a big peaceful feast of a dinner together which made her smile. "It be nice,"

"So we'll all have a Thanksgiving feast, that day!" Teddie said happily, as it seemed the holiday was a nice way to have an excuse to have a celebration.

"Besides parties… I was wondering how Minato's training was?" Yukiko asked. "I hope you're still training to prepare for your showdown for next month.

"I am. My friends and I have still been training when we can," Minato said in response to Yukiko's question, as the rest of SEES smiled at what Minato said, as the young man still trained with them, to prepare for this final showdown. Minato had them teach him more with his weapons, and even had some practice fights against each of them aside from their navigator who gladly cheered him on.

"That's good. If you want, you can always train against us too!" Rise suggested. Some of the other Investigation Team members appeared a bit surprised upon hearing that, and some seemed to think the idea was swell.

"Easy for you to say Rise! You're mainly support!" Kanji whined as he imagined a mental image of Minato wiping the floor with him, in a fight.

"I'm pretty sure Minato, would defeat us all easily," Yosuke also whined.

"Well the rest of us should train ourselves accordingly then," Naoto suggested. "In this kind of world, expect the unexpected as last night has shown us,"

"We said we help you out, anyway we can Minato. I wouldn't mind sparring off against you," Yu said, as both the blue haired and silver haired leaders of their respective groups, slightly smirked.

"Sure. We should face off whenever you can and want. Just let me know," Minato said.

"But shouldn't we all train a bit ourselves?" Teddie asked. "Granted myself, Yosuke, and Kanji managed to take down a giant plant monster a little while back, but all of us in general could use a bit more training. Plus to not get absolutely demolished by Minato and all,"

"Alright. So we'll each train accordingly. When we're ready, whenever that is, we'll hit you up Minato," Yu said, as everyone for now seemed to agree with the ideas. They all continued enjoying their breakfast and soon finished, as both groups bid each other adieu headed their own respective ways.

* * *

It was now Friday, November 6th in the morning as we see both Bowser and King Dedede both fully back to tip top shape, as their bandages were all gone, and they were back to looking like their normal selves. The two were in what appeared to be a factory that was in a private location in New York. The two had purchased a factory and immediately had their minions start working on building the robot they had in mind. Waddle Dees and Koopa Troopas wearing hard hats with their respective king's symbols marked on them, were working for the past few days. The robot was now pretty much complete.

"Now this is an awesome looking robot!" Bowser exclaimed. It was a robot that had metal that looked like tan bark, two long robotic claws for its like arm like appendages, a steel colored cannon like mouth, two circular pink robotic eyes (with the left pink robotic eye being slightly bigger), four yellow drill like legs instead of roots, and pipes on its back that connected to green steel spheres on the top of its head, acting as its leaves.

"I call it… Clanky Woods! Cause it's based on Whispy Woods, and it makes clanking sounds!" Dedede proclaimed. "Okay… I didn't come up with that name. When the pink puffball beat up the original made by that jerk company, apparently it was labeled that on some part of it. But that's beside the point! This robot is one lean, mean, and green fighting machine!"

"Heck yeah! We may get in trouble for this, but it'll be fun to test out!" Bowser exclaimed.

We now switch to Central Park. We see Chie, Yukiko, Naoto, and Rise there as they were all wearing Yasogami High P.E. jerseys and pants standing nearby a water fountain, as the surrounding area had grass, tress, and various people who were just enjoying themselves, as it was a sunny day, despite the cool breeze and Autumn leaves all around. The jerseys and pants were colored a light cobalt blue, and had the letters Y and H on them, standing for Yasogami High. It seemed this world has attire from all over, as besides their Halloween outfits from last night, they also bought replicas of their gym uniforms from their high school as well a while back. Yu, Yosuke, Kanji, and Teddie had decided to train in a gym that was nearby Langham Place to exercise and train themselves today, while the girls opted to take a jog at Central Park.

"Alright! Time for us to get a daily jog!" Chie said with enthusiasm.

"I bet Ms. Fit be proud of you Chie," Yukiko said, as Chie sheepishly smiled from hearing that. "We should ask to meet her one day,"

"It be cool to meet the nicer fighters in general," Rise said as she pondered the thought. "Like that fighter named Lucina!"

"Perhaps the next time we see the SEES members, we should ask them if that's something we can do," Naoto suggested. From somewhat afar, Bowser and King Dedede were both seated in the Koopa Clown Car (how both big kings managed to fit, was a mystery as it was a tight fit for both). Attached to the mouth of the Koopa Clown Car, held a large crane that was holding a large wooden box below it. Bowser was using a pair of binoculars, as he put his vehicle on auto pilot mode, as he was looking around.

"So you mean to tell me, that you also dislike those teenagers, because one of them made your youngest kid upset once?" Dedede said, as both were talking about Minato and his companions, as Bowser told him about the time Marie was apparently being a "meanie," according to Junior.

"Yep!" Bowser replied earnestly. Dedede couldn't help blink his eyes from hearing that. He then sighed as he admitted, he himself could be really petty at times as well though, as he had done tons of mischievous things in his world against the people he ruled over, from time to time, so for him to call out Bowser on this, would be like the pot calling out the kettle for being the same color. "**AH HA!** I see four of them teenager twerps! Time to ruin their day!"

"Alright. One last bit of mischief I guess before we get some bad punishments. Let's do it!" Dedede said with a mischievous smile, as he decided to go with it. We now switch to focusing on the four girls as Chie, Yukiko, Rise, and Naoto were currently stretching at the moment, before they decided to jog, as they decided to make sure they didn't want anything pulled. However they stopped stretching as they all heard an odd mechanical sound.

"Huh? Do you guys hear something?" Rise asked as she stopped stretching and looked confused.

"Yeah… I think I do hear something, oddly enough?" Chie said in response to that, sounding just as confused.

"And it sounds like… a propeller?" Yukiko added in the confusion, as her face showed such confusion as well.

"It sounds like… it's coming from above," Naoto stated, as they all slowly looked up. They all saw Bowser and Dedede in the Koopa King's personal aerial vehicle and the wooden box. Before they could say or react in anyway, Bowser hit a button on his vehicle, and let the crane holding the wooden box drop it, as the wooden box fell from the sky. Anybody nearby seeing this, decided to take themselves elsewhere, as they could see them while the four teens could only wonder why this had to happen to them. The wooden crate just dropped on the other side of the fountain, as a loud thud was heard. All four felt like they wanted to run, as some sweat started to come from their heads, yet their feet refused to move. Before they could do anything else, the wooden crate busted open, as the large tree looking robot, leaped out of it and then stomped in front of the four girls.

_*** VS The Wicked Company/Boss Battle - (Kirby Planet Robobot) ***_

"Have fun with Clanky Woods! Later!" Dedede smugly said, as the two kings quickly headed off with Bowser's personal aerial vehicle, back to Smash Tower. Soon the robot's pink robotic eyes flashed on, as it looked towards the girls and began scanning the four targets. The four's faces really cringed into ones of fear and frustration.

"**THOSE TWO JERKS! AND… WHAT IS THAT THING!?"** Chie screamed with fear as she definitely did not want to fight that thing.

"I think it was called… Clanky Woods?" Yukiko said, but she couldn't help but feel a bit tense as she took a couple of steps back. "First a plant monster that wears red briefs, and now a mechanical robot tree. What weird things from their worlds..."

"This thing is a killing machine either way!" Rise said as she didn't want to deal with this thing. Clanky Woods finished scanning, and then immediately stomped in place, as a mechanical roar emerged from it.

"Looks like we're going to have to fight. We can't let something like this be in this area!" Naoto shouted. They all took out their Evokers, as they were prepared to fight. Clanky Woods roared once more as it decided to fight. The tree robot decided to target Chie first, as it fired a red tipped missile with the middle of it steel covered, and the end in yellow. The missile flew straight for Chie who looked frightened of the projectile fired towards her.

"Oh crap!" Chie said with panic as she ducked as it flew right above her and sighed in relief. That relief was short lived as the missile slowly started to fly back towards her as it turned around.

"Watch out Chie! Konohana Sakuya use Agidyne now!" Yukiko shouted, as she took out her Evoker. A gunshot emanated out and Yukiko had summoned her Persona and had it use the technique she ordered. A blast of fire was sent towards the missile and it exploded, before it could reach Chie.

"Thanks Yukiko! That could have been really bad," Chie shouted, thankful she didn't get blown up. "You stupid tree! I'll turn you into a kicking bag!"

Chie ran towards Clanky Woods and slammed her right foot into the robot tree with her boots. She soon regretted that move, as she felt her own being vibrate like a plate of jelly that got prodded. Needless to say, the kick wasn't very effective.

"I'll try to scan this thing! It might not be a Shadow, but I'll try to see if I can find any information on it regardless!" Rise shouted concerned, as she took out her Evoker and summoned her Persona Himiko. She sighed, as she now wished she carried her mic stand, with her but no one could have foreseen this giant killer robot to be attacking them, and for her to have carried such an item, would have been annoying and heavy to have on her being in general.

"Noted Kujikawa. We'll do our best to distract this robot in the meantime from you," Naoto said as she took out her rubber band gun, and fired a clothespin directly at one of its pink robotic eyes. The clothespin bounced off its robotic eye as, Clanky Woods took its attention off Chie, who was still vibrating like prodded jelly. Clanky Woods fired a missile towards Naoto. "Sukuna-Hikona! Take down that missile with a Megidola!"

Naoto then switched to using her Evoker, as she used it, and soon came out her Persona that used a blast of some almighty damage. The missile exploded. Before Clanky Woods could do anything else, a pink, black, and red fan bounced onto Clanky Woods and back to Yukiko, as she made the robot focus on her instead. The robot then fired a missile at Yukiko.

"Oh no you don't! Tomoe, Bufu that missile now!" Chie shouted, as she used her Evoker on herself, and her Persona appeared. A blast of ice hit the missile, and it then fell onto the ground and shattered into pieces, no longer being a threat.

"I can't get a read on this thing. It's not what Himiko is used to scanning at all, being from another world that's not our own. But if I had to comment, it looks like physical attacks will prove ineffective unless they're really strong as Chie's kick attack which proved ineffective from earlier showed. We should focus on chipping it down with our special attacks," Rise said. She then had Himiko change into her combat form, as she was ready to help fight. "I may not be able to fight with my mic stand, but I can still fight without it to a degree!"

Clanky Woods saw how its missiles had no success so far, to hit any of its targets. It decided to change up tactics as it used its two front drills to dig up the ground in front of it, as some large rocks piled up. It then used its two clawed hands to pick up two of the large rocks and tossed them towards the four Persona users. They all moved away as the rocks nearly crushed them. Using its two front drills it created more rocky debris to the four Persona users, as it picked up two more to throw at them, but Rise decided to counter the robot attack with her own strategy.

"Himiko, give me a Tetrakarn!" Rise shouted out with the use of her Evoker, as her Persona created a blue barrier in front of the four. The rocks thrown at them bounced back upon hitting the barrier, and clunked the robot tree, dealing some damage. Clanky Woods stomped in place with its four drill legs and had a mechanical roar erupt from it. The robot quickly stomped towards them, and without warning, used its claw arms to grab both Chie and Rise.

"Put them down!" Yukiko yelled out angrily, as both Chie and Rise struggled to get out of Clanky Wood's iron metal grip. As if complying with her demands, the tree robot threw both girls towards Yukiko and Naoto who had no time to react, as they got knocked down onto the ground, and all four were on the ground a bit hurt. The robot seeing this, took a large leap, as it prepared to stomp and drill into them using its drill legs. Seeing this, their four faces paled, and they immediately rolled out of the way as they nearly got stomped and drilled into.

"This thing is extremely strong," Yukiko commented as she was now catching her breath, as she and the three others stood up.

"It's superior in strength to a regular Shadow, that's for sure," Naoto commented. "We did manage to deal some damage, just before. We just need to keep it up,"

"Agreed. We have to be on the offensive as well," Rise noted.

"I agree with that Rise and Naoto! Now then... you're going down Clanky! Tomoe, use a God's Hand!" Chie shouted out as she used her Evoker. Chie then made a motion to punch the ground as Tomoe copied her action. Chie's Persona summoned a giant golden fist made of pure energy that emerged from the skies and headed straight towards the robot. Clanky Woods seeing this, leaped out of the way, as it dodged the fist. Clanky Woods stomped towards them once more, and this time it decided to do another new attack at them.

"What… what is it doing?" Yukiko said, as it began shaking its robot branches on its head. The green metal spheres on top of it fell off, as the pipes beneath it, somehow managed to produce new ones above it. The green spheres rolled towards them, as the robot tree leaped away from them.

"What are those green metal spheres?" Rise said out loud, as she too wondered why the robot did such a thing. The green spheres began to flash red, causing all four of them to have a nervous expression on their faces.

"Let's get out of the way, now!" Naoto yelled out, as they ran away from the green metal spheres. They soon exploded, as they left some fire on the ground. The four needless to say looked a bit tense, as they could have just been blown up from the explosives. Clanky Woods stomped towards them once more, and shook another batch of the green metal spheres towards them. Rise however decided to take matters into her own hands.

"Himiko! Arrow Rain those explosive spheres and Makarakarn myself along with Chie, Yukiko, and Naoto!" Rise shouted out as she used her Evoker. Rise's Persona quickly summoned four satellite like devices (two to the left, and two to the right of her) that were blue, and had an orange tip. The four devices fired energy bolts at the green spheres before Clanky Woods could retreat, and her Persona quickly performed the Makarakarn as it made a barrier that surrounded the four girls. The robot took numerous explosive hits, as its own attack backfired. It was now slightly charred.

"Way to go Rise! Awesome move!" Chie praised with a big grin.

"It's still not defeated yet Chie-san," Naoto pointed out, as the robot stared at them, as it began to stomp in place once more and began another mechanical roar.

"It looks really mad now," Yukiko pointed out, as the robot's pink eyes glowed. It then began stomping in place, as it looked towards them, causing the four to slowly back away. It then stomped towards them, and it was not stopping, as it intended to ram into them, as the pipes on its back blasted black smoke. "Let's take that jog now!"

Chie, Yukiko, Rise, and Naoto began to run as the robot chased after them, as they decided to run around the large water fountain as it chased them in a circle. Just as the four began to tire, the robot had to stop moving due to needing to recharge its energy by not wasting any on movement.

"Now's our chance! Let's beat it… **OH CRAP!**" Chie exclaimed, before Clanky Woods began to fire missiles at them, as it seemed it could still afford to do that, despite having to recharge its energy for mobility. The four teenager girls quickly leaped out of the way, as it's missiles collided into regular trees and and made a lot of burnt wood debris scatter around.

"This is one opponent we cannot afford to underestimate." Naoto noted. The robot fully recharged its drill legs as it leaped and planned to stomp them once more. As it just leaped, it got distracted as Yukiko threw her fan at the big right eye, and it miraculously covered its right eye. Naoto began to fire at its smaller robot eye with her rubber band gun, to blind it. The robot ended up leaping into the water fountain instead of at them as the distraction worked, and ended up destroying the water fountain, and causing water to spew all around it.

"Chie! Try freezing it, since it has all that water around it!" Yukiko suggested, as she wondered if this could work.

"Got it! Tomoe, Bufu the water around Clanky Woods!" Chie yelled out, as she had her Persona come out, and blasted the ice at the robot and at the water. It was now trapped as its drill legs were stuck in the ice. Also the ice attack managed to slam into the robot itself, dealing more damage.

"Yukiko and Naoto! Show that robot a defrosting!" Rise commented. Both Yukiko and Naoto nodded as they both knew what she meant, what to do.

"Agidyne!" Both Yukiko and Naoto commanded, as they both used their Evokers. Two blasts of fire hit the robot, dealing with a lot of damage, as the ice around it defrosted as a lot of steam raised into the air. The robot leaped towards them now, without warning as it landed right in front of the four. This time, it grabbed Yukiko and Naoto with its robot clawed arms. Without warning it began to quickly decide to tighten its grip this time, trying to crush the two girls, who began to wince in pain.

"No way are you doing that! Himiko use another Arrow Rain, directly at its metal arms!" Rise shouted as another Evoker gunshot rang out. Himoko summoned its four satellites once more, and two of them fired at Clanky Wood's left arm, and the remaining two at it's right arm. The robot's grip loosened somewhat, but it refused to drop the two Persona users it held. "Chie! Make it drop them now!"

"Tomoe use an Assault Dive!" Chie shouted, as her Persona leaped into the air and used a dive kick like attack with it's being, to slam into the robot. Clanky Woods was knocked back as it dropped Yukiko and Naoto. Both Chie and Rise ran up to Yukiko and Naoto.

"Yukiko-san! Can you muster up a Mediarahan?" Rise asked and advised. Yukiko weakly nodded, as that seemed to the best thing she heard at the moment. Yukiko summoned her Persona and had that command used, as herself and the rest of them felt a lot more energized and not as in pain.

"It'll be a while before I can muster up another one. We're damaging it somewhat, but still not significantly," Yukiko answered.

"I wish that thing had a weak spot or something, so we can take it down faster. Does that thing have a weak spot at all?" Chie pondered. "If we can find one, that make our lives easier,"

Clanky Woods finally picked itself up as it stomped in place once more, and had another mechanical roar come out. This time it decided to fire another missile towards them with the cannon on its mouth. Naoto's eyes flashed with a sudden realization, as she had an idea in mind.

"Chie, Yukiko, and Rise-san! I have an idea! But first, let me take care of this missile. Sukuna-Hikona use a Tempest Slash!" Naoto shouted as she used her Evoker. Her Persona was summoned and took out's its blade, and sliced the missile shot at them in half, rendering it ineffective. Clanky Woods then stomped in place, as it once again decided to run after them, intending to ram into them, as more black smoke came out from its exhaust pipes. They ran once more till they eventually forced it into a state of it needing to recharge it's energy.

"What's your idea Naoto?" Rise asked. "Because right now, this killer robot isn't going down anytime soon,"

"It's mainly armored from the outside, but its internal parts and mechanisms could possibly be less reinforced and armored." Naoto suggested. The other girls saw where Naoto was going with this.

"So in other words, its insides is possibly its weak spots?" Yukiko asked. Naoto nodded in response, as Yukiko could see what she had in mind.

"But how are we going to hit its insides? It's covered all over in armor isn't it?" Chie asked. Naoto slightly smirked back to Chie, as she had an idea of how to damage its insides, as she answered her.

"I see one opening actually. I'll tell you three right now." Naoto shouted. She suddenly motioned for the other three to huddle as she whispered what she had in mind to the other three. They nodded, agreeing with the suggestions Naoto made. Clanky Woods in the meantime used its two front drills as it began to drill for more rocks to throw at them. Just as it created some large rocks to create, Rise had used her Evoker to summon Himiko once more.

"Arrow Rain those boulders Himiko!" Rise shouted out, as her Persona did as commanded, as the energy bolts destroyed the potential projectiles. She then decided to taunt the robot. "What's wrong Clanky Woods? Have nothing to throw at us!?"

Clanky Woods hearing this decided to fire another missile towards them. Just as a missile appeared in its cannon like mouth, ready to be shot towards them, Chie had a big grin emerge on her face.

"Tomoe, use Bufu now on Clanky Wood's missile in its cannon now!" Chie yelled out with excitement, as she used her Evoker once more. Tomoe summoned a blast of ice towards the missile in Clanky Wood's mouth. The missile was now frozen and was now clogging Clanky Wood's cannon. "Now time to finish this! Go for it, Yukiko and Naoto!"

"Agidyne the missile in its cannon!" Both Yukiko and Naoto shouted, as both Konohana Sakuya and Sukuna-Hikona sent out a blast of fire towards the robot. The robot had no time to react to the two blasts, as it was consumed in fire. The ice around the missile melted due to the fire, and soon the fire made contact with the missile itself. A huge explosion has just occurred. The robot went sky high as it was now exploding like crazy. Chie seeing this decided to give it one more attack.

"Let's finish this robot off, with a God's Hand Tomoe!" Chie yelled out, as she used her Evoker and did the punching the ground motion, with her Persona repeating Chie's action. A giant golden fist made of energy, came falling from the sky, and this time slammed into Clanky Woods, sending it crashing back down into the ground. It fell hard as the smoke and dust emerged from where it crashed with a huge thud. Sparks were flying all on it, as it was finally defeated as it stopped moving. The only thing that emerged besides sparks, was oil falling from its big left pink robot eye, as if it were crying. Then one final explosion occurred as the robot blew up into tons of scrap metal and pieces all around.

"**YEAH! IN YOUR FACE, CLANKY WOODS!**" Chie yelled out enthusiastically as she jumped up and down happily with a big grin.

"But Clanky Woods doesn't have a face anymore Chie," Yukiko pointed out.

"Or anything… really," Rise added with a shrug as she noted that the robot was nothing more than scrap metal and pieces now. "Either way, we survived and beat that robot!"

"Indeed. Who would have thought this training session prove most different. Hopefully those two kings refrain from causing us more trouble in the future," Naoto stated. "We should definitely report this to the others as soon as possible. Let's head back to Langham Place,"

The other three girls nodded, as they decided to walk back, and head back to their current base of operations, as they had enough training for one day.

* * *

We now see Bowser and Dedede in the chairmen's room. The two were needless to say being chewed out, while both had annoyed expressions.

"Seeing as how you disobeyed our warnings, you both have no Smash matches for the remainder of the month. That is your punishment. If you both disobey, the consequences will be much more severe," Crimson simply stated. Bowser curled his hands into his fists, as he enjoyed fighting, while Dedede thought about it and simply shrugged. He was a lazy fellow and rather have that then deal with Cruel Smash matches, so this turned out a lot better then he expected, even if he did enjoy participating in matches as well. "You two are dismissed for now,"

Bowser felt like protesting but he knew he was asking for more trouble, due to what he did earlier, so he merely snorted some smoke, and walked away with Dedede walking away. When the kings were out of earshot, Crimson turned to the rest of his brothers as he said something.

"The envelope has been sent," Crimson simply stated, as the rest of his chairmen brothers simply nodded in agreement. We now focus on the two kings as both were now in the elevator taking it down, as Bowser had steam pop out of his head, while Dedede wondered what he should order for his next meal.

"**GAH!** Those lame chumps! I'm going to thrash… **THRASH**… Blue Mint as soon as this ban is over!" Bowser yelled, as he felt like he wanted to vent his anger out, while Dedede rolled his eyes. "You think I'm joking, Triple-D, but I'm not! I'll turn him into BBQ!"

"BBQ… now that sounds delicious at the moment. You shouldn't be surprised we're being punished for breaking the rules. Also this ban sounds way better then Cruel Smash matches. Come on Bowser. Let's get something nice to eat." Dedede simply said as the elevator continued to descent while Bowser continued to whine about this. We now go to see Minato and Fuuka who were simply enjoying the day as they were walking in the hallway on their floor, as they headed to their conference room. Apparently they heard from the others they received something the two should see, with the rest of them. As they arrived, they saw the other SEES members have concerned expressions, as they saw envelope with a black letter seal, with the Smash symbol imprinted on it. Needless to say, they could see why they waited, as it was addressed to both the blue haired leader and to the teal haired navigator Persona users specifically. Needless to say, the contents of that envelope, was currently unknown to them.

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

**So how was it? Time for notes as usual.**

**1\. Clanky Woods is the first boss from Kirby Planet Robobot for the Nintendo 3DS. In the Kirby series, Whispy Woods is usually the first boss, or some equivalent to Whispy Woods is the first boss. In Kirby Planet Robobot, the actual Whispy Woods is turned into Clanky Woods, whereas the ones the female Investigation Team members fought was just a robot. The theme for this chapter also is the main regular boss theme from Kirby Planet Robobot.**

**2\. The PE (Physical Education) uniforms that the female Investigation Team members wear during their fight against Clanky Woods are actual uniforms from Persona 4. Most notably seen during the field trip where Yu, Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko wear them, and are a costume you can equip on the party members in Persona 4 Golden.**

**3\. Rise's Persona both has a normal and combat form, as her Persona Himiko gained a combat form in Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, as she is a playable character in that game.**

**4\. Glad to get more of the Investigation Team, some of the spotlight. This time the female members got to take the spotlight as Chie, Yukiko, Rise, and Naoto kicked some robot butt. The only member of the Investigation Team that has yet to fight is Yu...**

**That's all for now. As usual if anyone has anything they wish to say, comment, criticize, etc about, don't be afraid to do so. I thank you all so far for reading and supporting my story as usual, as it means a lot to me. I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter and till the next one!**


	44. An Invitation For Dinner

**Chapter 44 is here! As usual I will address the previous reviews. Also I wanted to make one note, as I was mistaken about something I mentioned last chapter in a note in the top.**

**Dash master 48 you had a lot to say. So I shall respond. That place Labrys wanted to visit was the grave of the girl, she was based off of, as referenced in Persona 4 Arena Ultimax. As for a gym scene with Little Mac and the male Investigation Team members, in retrospect that would have been nice, as well as more reactions in general. Mega Man's family being Dr. Light who is basically his father figure, Roll his sister, and the rest of the Robot Masters from Mega Man 1 who are his siblings. The Master's real name is not Shigeru Miyamoto, I can say that with full confidence. I have indeed played and beaten Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors, Virtue's Last Reward, and have also beaten Zero Time Dilemma. As for sequels being made, that is something that will be discussed eventually during the final chapter in the notes. I thank you for taking time to read my story and I hope you've been enjoying it. Same for everyone else.**

**Last chapter in the notes I kind of made it a big deal that Bowser and Dedede would be taking a small break but I realized I wanted to write a bit more with them before doing so, in regards too certain scenes before making those two take a break. So in this chapter they will show again, but for the next few chapters they won't (hopefully). Wanted to address that though they will eventually show again (though other characters may speak of them while they're gone). That's it for now. Aside from that I hope you are all enjoying this story so far, and I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

The members of SEES all were now sitting at their table in their conference room, as Minato and Fuuka who sat next to each other, stared at the envelope in front of them. The silence in the room was a bit unnerving as everyone stared at the envelope. Minato picked up the letter and calmly took a look at it again, as he saw it was directly addressed to both him and Fuuka. He looked towards Fuuka who nodded back. He picked up the envelope and was about open it, when he suddenly heard his cell phone ring. Minato placed the envelope back down, and looked at his cellphone and saw it was from Yu. He decided to answer the call as he picked it up with his right hand

"Hello? Yu?" Minato asked, as the rest of SEES watched their leader. Minato's face could soon slowly be soon forming into a scowl. It was like Deja-vu as they all saw a similar reaction when Minato received a phone call, when he found out about the Investigation Team having to deal with Petey Piranha. "I see. I'll let them know. We'll talk more in the future. Bye,"

With that, Minato closed his cell phone, and sighed. The silence became a thing in the room once more, and everyone looked a little uneasy.

"Chie, Yukiko, Rise, and Naoto got attacked by a killer robot," Minato said in an annoyed tone. "Guess which two troublemakers were responsible for it?"

"One's name starts with a B, and the other starts with a D?" Junpei said with a dissatisfied face. Minato simply nodded, as the rest of SEES decided to just sigh. "Well I hope those four are all right,"

"I'm sure they are Junpei. Right Minato?" Yukari asked, as Minato nodded in response. "Disappointed to hear King Dedede caused some trouble again. Not surprised with Bowser,"

"Minato… I sense your blood pressure is rising, despite your demeanor being shown as calm right now," Aigis stated. Koromaru barked, as Aigis translated for him. "Koromaru feels you are angry right now,"

"Well I can't blame him. After hearing about something like that, I be pissed too," Shinjiro remarked.

"I understand how you feel Arisato, but confronting them about this is something that should be deliberated," Mitsuru suggested.

"Now hold on Mitsuru… I don't agree with that at all. At least this time," Akihiko said. "We ignored Bowser when he sent his plant monster after the Investigation Team before. That didn't stop him from making our group along with Yu's group, stuck in a haunted mansion last month, that we had to escape. I'm not against ignoring Bowser, but this hasn't stopped him from bugging us or our friends,"

"Well… when Akihiko-san puts it that way Mitsuru-san…" Ken said out loud, thinking about what he just heard. "What he said did happen still, regardless of Bowser being ignored,"

"Hmmm… very well," Mitsuru said, as she acknowledged what she heard. "Arisato… I'll let you decide how to proceed, in regards to them,"

"It's up to you Minato," Fuuka said softly. Minato looked at the rest of his team as they all nodded, as they seemed to agree with what Akihiko suggested. Minato just thought about what he just heard.

"I'll think about it. Let's just see what's addressed to me and Fuuka." Minato said, as he finally decided it was time to open the envelope. He carefully and slowly tore one of the ends of the envelope off. He saw that a white piece of stationary marked with the Smash Bros symbols in black were in each corner. The letter was cleanly penned in fresh black ink, as it was written very neatly. Minato took a deep breath and sighed, as he decided to read it out loud, for everyone else in the room to hear.

"Dear Mr. Arisato and Ms. Yamagishi. We the chairmen who run Smash Corp, are interested in having a dinner with you two in the future. We are interested in having dinner with you a week from today, on November 13th of 2015 at the time of 6PM. The dinner will be held at the establishment known as the Gourmet 64, which is a very high class and established restaurant. We will see you both there. If you have any more questions, please talk to us at our office. Sincerely the chairmen," Minato said as he finally finished reading the letter.

"We're both going to have dinner with the chairmen? A week from today?" Fuuka said quietly, unsure what to think of that. The rest of SEES were quiet as well, unsure what to think of what they just heard as well. "I don't think… we have much of a choice, do we Minato?"

"I don't think it be wise to turn them down unfortunately." Minato said, as this day was just growing more and more annoying, with the information he continued to learn.

"Great. You two are going to be forced into having a dinner with those eight jerks," Junpei mumbled annoyed.

"I still haven't forgotten the terrible things they said, or what one of their three elite bodyguards did, in the past," Yukari said with an angry expression.

"Yeah. All those punks can go screw themselves," Shinjiro darkly said, as also didn't approve of what happened in the past with them.

"Why do they want to have dinner with Minato-san and Fuuka-san?" Ken questioned.

"Good question Ken. Anyone have any ideas?" Akihiko asked, as he was curious why they would do that.

"The chairmen can speak with Minato anytime about whatever they wish. I do not see the logical purpose of such a thing," Aigis stated.

"The eight chairmen wish to have dinner with Arisato and Yamagishi. They must have some reason," Mitsuru mused.

Koromaru began to bark as Aigis listened and translated for the canine once more. She nodded as she began to translate for the Shiba Inu.

"Koromaru is curious to see if any of us would be allowed into the restaurant?" Aigis said. Everyone else had a curious expression on their face, as they thought of what they just heard.

"Well it's not like we don't enjoy great food from the cafeteria here. The chefs in Smash Tower already cook high class meals. Why do we need to show up at the restaurant?" Junpei asked. Koromaru barked once again, as Aigis translated for the dog.

"Because we can keep an eye on Minato and Fuuka, to make sure they are safe. That is what Koromaru said." Aigis explained. "It is also a sentiment I also agree with."

"Let's look up this restaurant. Hopefully you don't need a reservation to enter, due to it being high class," Yukari said, as they all nodded in agreement with what they heard.

Fuuka used the computer in their conference room and brought up the restaurant on its official website that had various information, such as a menu which listed the food and drinks it offered, the prices for said food, and so on. Fuuka began to read off some off the information, regarding it.

"The Gourmet 64 was established in April 26th in 1999. It was created by Smash Corp to help promote the Smash Bros fighting competitions, as large TVs are provided to those who dine in, as well as providing a high class meal and great experience for those who wanted to enjoy Smash Bros matches in a high class environment. The restaurant is staffed with chefs who have earned Michelin stars in their careers, and with high class and attentive staff. This restaurant also has a strict reservations only policy, as clientele must make a reservation in advance to dine in the Gourmet 64." Fuuka said out loud.

"Well why don't we just call for a reservation for the rest of us now, for that restaurant?" Akihiko asked.

"I kind of doubt we can get a reservation for the rest of us. If it's that high class, it's probably filled up for November." Shinjiro remarked as he did research on restaurants in his personal cooking pursuits and research. "I highly doubt we're going to get a seat in unless we got special privileges like Minato and Fuuka. This place was created by Smash Corp. The chairmen getting in and whoever they want in is easy as hell for them,"

"Well we should still give it a try! Yuka-tan you call them up and ask if they have a free spot for next week!" Junpei suggested, while Yukari looked annoyed from what she heard.

"And why should I be the one that calls them?" Yukari asked, slightly curious and slightly annoyed by what Junpei suggested.

"Because why not?" Junpei said with a shrug and a smirk.

"That's it? That's your reasoning?' Yukari asked. "Oh… whatever. I'll call them sure. Just give me a moment,"

Yukari took out her cellphone and called the restaurant. She called the restaurant and waited as her phone rang, and soon someone on the other line picked up.

"Hi. I was calling to see if the Gourmet 64 had any open reservations for November 13th of this month?" Yukari asked. Yukari listened as the worker on other line explained some things to her. "I see. Thank you so much. Bye,"

Yukari closed the call, as she ended up sighing and swaying her head, side to side, to show that no reservations were available.

"Perhaps we can find out from the chairmen, if we can be allowed in as well, like Arisato and Yamagishi," Mitsuru suggested. "Arisato, if you don't mind, can you ask the chairmen if we can be allowed in?"

"Sure. They did say on their letter, if we have questions we can ask. I wanted to see some people besides them as well today," Minato said as he got up. "I'll go see the chairmen now, before I head off to see the other people. I'll see you guys later. I got some people to meet and see,"

Minato soon got up and walked and left the room. The others remained, deciding what to do, while Fuuka in particular was thinking about something. She then excused herself from the others, as she also left the room, and saw Minato walking down the hallway, as she called out to him.

"Wait Minato!" Fuuka said suddenly, catching Minato of guard. Minato turned around, as Fuuka walked up to him to catch up. "Minato-kun… can I come with you? To see the chairmen and whoever else?"

"Why?" Minato asked concerned. "I mean… I wouldn't normally mind, but I'm going to see the chairmen first and… well you know what happened last time you were there in their office. I don't want-"

"I know Minato," Fuuka said, interrupting him. "Sorry to interrupt, I know what happened last time… was a painful experience for all of us. One I wish will never happen again so I don't have to make you guys worry,"

"Fuuka…" Minato said quietly, as he realized she was concerned for the rest of them.

"But… I want to be there for you Minato. Like you have been for me." Fuuka said. Minato smiled from hearing that.

"You've always been there for me Fuuka… since the day we met," Minato said back gently.

"And you've always been there for me Minato. And I want to continue being there for you. So please let me go with you to see them, and whoever else you're seeing today," Fuuka asked. Minato just sighed, but he slowly smiled and nodded back to her, causing her to smile and nod back as well.

"Alright." Minato said. "Let's go see them,"

* * *

We now see the hallway that led to the chairmen's office. It was being guarded by two of the Elite Mii Fighters. Sword-Fighter and Gunner as both were currently bored out of their minds. They didn't mind bodyguard duty, but they rather be training their employees or having a match against each other, or any fighter who be willing to fight them. Soon Minato and Fuuka were in the hallway, surprising the two.

"We're both here to see the chairmen," Minato said, with a glare, while Fuuka tried her best to remain calm in their presence. Sword-Fighter rolled his eyes while Gunner just laughed at what she heard.

"Well we didn't expect to see you two… nah not really. Blue hair over there talks with our bosses a lot, so we're not too surprised at this point." Gunner said in a playful manner.

"We'll check to see if any are available and if any are free to speak with you two. Just wait here," Sword-Fighter simply said, as he and Gunner went into the conference room. Both Minato and Fuuka waited outside as they stood out. Soon both came back out with an answer.

"You can go in." Sword-Fighter simply said as both Minato and Fuuka walked past both elite Mii Fighters. Inside the room, they saw that only one of the chairmen were inside at the moment. It was Azure the blue chairman as he was calmly drinking some green tea from a blue coffee mug.

"Mr. Arisato and Ms. Yamagishi… I shouldn't be too surprised to see you both here," Azure stated very calmly. "I assume, you both have received our invitation to dinner for next Friday?"

"Yes we have," Fuuka said. Azure beckoned them to sit down, as they occupied some of the free chairs in the room. "Where's the rest of your brothers?"

"They're having a meeting with marketing in a different department in Smash Tower, regarding the Amiibo products we're going to be selling later this month. It's also why one of our three elite Mii Fighters, was not outside guarding this room, as he was with my brothers. I opted to stay in this room, in case anyone wished to speak to one of us, on any concerning matters," Azure explained. "Now… I assume you two have questions you both have for me?"

"You invited myself and Fuuka to a high class restaurant for next week. I was wondering if it was possible if I could invite my friends to the Gourmet 64 as well, next week?" Minato asked.

"I apologize Mr. Arisato, but we feel that dinner between myself and my brothers would be more appropriate with it being mainly you and your significant other." Azure replied.

"But can't they just be seated at a separate table? They don't necessarily have to be eating with us," Fuuka suggested.

"Once again, I apologize, Ms. Yamagishi but myself and my brothers really rather… not have any attention divided between both our group and the two of you," Azure answered. "To simply put it, we rather not have any other companions of yours interfere. This dinner is rather important as we wish to discuss significant topics with you both,"

"Significant topics over food and drink huh?" Minato asked, wondering what exactly they wanted to discuss with both him and Fuuka that it had to be done over dinner. "Nothing that we can discuss now?"

"I and my brothers just felt it be more appropriate if we spoke in a setting like the Gourmet 64 as opposed to our conference room for reasons we rather not disclose. Rest assured, we will discuss in detail about those significant topics, during next week's dinner," Azure explained. Suddenly a cellphone was ringing in the room, as both Minato and Fuuka realized it wasn't their cellphone. Azure took what appeared to be a blue smartphone out of his pocket and answered the call. He listened as he nodded to what he heard. "Understood. I'll see you all soon."

"What was that about?" Fuuka asked.

"My brothers need me in the marketing department for something. I suppose I'll have Sword-Fighter and Gunner guard the entrance to this room. That concludes our discussion for now. I look forward to having dinner with you both in the future." Azure explained he slowly stood up. He walked out of the room with Minato and Fuuka following him out, as he closed the doors and locked them with a key. He then instructed Sword-Fighter and Gunner to guard the chairmen's room. "See you two next week for dinner."

With that, Azure walked away from the two, as Minato and Fuuka saw him walk down the hallway, and take the elevator. The two decided to take the stairs to walk down, as they were currently done in this area.

"So who are we seeing next Minato-kun?" Fuuka asked, as both were walking down the stairs.

"We're going to see… two troublesome kings. Are you fine with that?" Minato asked. Fuuka nodded to him, showing that she didn't mind. "I see. Let's start with the one we have less trouble with,"

* * *

We now see King Dedede in his room as he was on his couch and flipping thorough TV channels as he was lazily lying on his couch about. He had just had some barbecued food earlier, and he was needless to say, very satisfied and happy from his meal, as he was currently enjoying his lazy moments. He heard someone knocking on his door at the moment.

"Not in the room!" Dedede blurted out. This just caused the knocking to his door to increase as he suddenly realized what he said, made whoever was outside, realize he was actually in the room, despite what he said. He scowled from the realization and realized he shouldn't have said that. "Alright! Just wait a moment!"

He ordered his Waddle Dees in his room to open the door, as he still didn't feel like getting up. The Waddle Dees obeyed their king as they opened the door to his room. Minato and Fuuka smiled at the sight of the Waddle Dees, as Fuuka gave a warm and gentle hug to them, causing them to smile immensely.

"Well if it isn't you two. What brings you two here?" Dedede asked.

"Let's have a chat about what you and Bowser have been up to lately," Minato said in a dark tone, which caused Dedede's face to panic, as both Minato and Fuuka walked inside, after closing the door to his room, as both took a seat on two separate chairs. "Like why you and him have been causing us trouble lately,"

Dedede's face freaked out as he knew the shenanigans that he and Bowser pulled recently would cause this to happen potentially.

"Alright! Speaking only for myself, and not for Bowser, I'm sorry about messing with you and your pals with the haunted house last month on Halloween!" Dedede said.

"Don't forget about sending a robot on some of our friends earlier this morning," Minato said, as he continued to glare at Dedede.

"Alright again! Look… personally I don't really have problems with you two and your pals. You all kind of won me over, a while back and all. I'll take blame for the haunted house thing, since I thought it be fun, and I'll take blame for helping making the robot that went after your pals!" Dedede whined. "It was Bowser's idea to send your group inside the haunted mansion, and it was his idea to make that robot!"

"But you still allowed and helped him out, when he did that, right?" Fuuka asked curiously. Dedede's face tensed as he had to admit that was true, and he ended up sighing.

"Yeah… that is true. I won't deny that. Sorry about causing you teens trouble. You all are an alright bunch," Dedede said.

"It's alright. You made the effort to apologize King Dedede. We appreciate that," Fuuka said, while Dedede smiled from hearing that.

"Just stop causing trouble. You and Bowser. Well… more so him," Minato replied, not as friendly. Dedede nodded, understanding where the blue haired teen was coming from.

"Well we currently got banned from Smash matches for the rest of the month." Dedede explained. "The chairmen punished us for messing with you guys,"

"I see. Well that is it from us. Just try to not mess with me and my friends anymore," Minato said more calmly, as he and Fuuka bid Dedede farewell as they left his room. "Now let's go see the more troublesome king,"

Bowser was in his room as he was currently sitting at a table that had a black and red notebook on it, while his right hand held a black pen. Frustrated with having a lack of Smash battles to participate in as he was banned for the rest of the month, he was busy trying to occupy himself in other ways. The Koopa King trying to come up with evil schemes for the future, for his home world.

"Hmmm… maybe I can use the time to come up with an evil plan, for when I'm back home. Now let's see… tried to take over the universe… tried that and it failed. Tried to take over a kingdom and build an amusement park in my name, didn't work out..." Bowser was saying to himself out loud, as he was tapping his black pen against the notebook. "I wonder what evil plan I should try next?"

Bowser heard someone knocking on his door. He grumbled under his breath as he placed his notebook and pen down as he got up and went to his door to answer it. As soon as he opened it, he immediately bared his sharp teeth and smirked.

"Blue Mint and his girlfriend? Didn't expect you two to be here. Here to relieve my boredom?" Bowser whined.

"We're here to speak with you about some things." Minato said bravely, while Fuuka was trying her hardest to put on a brave face, as she gripped Minato's hands.

"Is that so?" Bowser questioned, as he closed the door to his room and stepped out into the hallway. "What do you two teenager twerps want to talk about with me?"

"Stop messing with me and my friends," Minato stated with a piercing glare. "I don't know why you got a problem with my friends and myself, but it's getting old,"

"Hmph! I do as I please! Simple as that chumps," Bowser replied. "Don't act like you didn't have fun in the haunted attraction last month!"

"Not at all," Minato responded bluntly, while Fuuka shook her head for a no.

"Well too bad! I say you two and all your chump pals had fun in it! What I say goes, since I rule and you punks drool!" Bowser taunted as he made an L sign at them with both his clawed hands to indicate, he thought of them as losers. Fuuka felt awkward seeing the king acting so immature while Minato just glared even more at the king. "Tch! Sorry about sending a robot at some your other pals this morning… **NOT!**"

"Aren't you punished? For you know… messing with me and my friends?" Minato said smugly, which caused Bowser to bare his sharp teeth angrily towards the blue haired teen.

"It sucks not being able to participate in any matches for the rest of this month, but I can do other things to pass the time. Consider yourself lucky! Come December I'll make sure to thrash you properly!" Bowser threatened with angry eyes. Minato simply glared, while Fuuka looked very concerned from hearing that.

"Why do you dislike Minato?" Fuuka asked. Bowser's eyes suddenly lost his fury, as he blinked upon hearing that, as it was a question he wasn't expecting to hear. "I mean… he hasn't even done anything to you,"

"Oh yeah? Explain the time he turned me into a skeleton!" Bowser whined.

"You rolled a bomb at us and I wasn't going to just accept that." Minato responded. "That was your fault."

"Yeah well… buzz off!" Bowser childishly replied back, as the Koopa King refused to take responsibility. "As for why I dislike Blue Mint… well I just don't so there!"

"I don't think it's that simple. You clearly dislike Minato for some reason, I think," Fuuka said. Bowser raised his eyebrows as he heard this. "I don't know what that reason is, but I do think it exists, whatever it is,"

"I don't like Blue Mint just because I simply don't! I bully and mess with a lot of fighters in this fighting tournament when I get the chance!" Bowser replied. "Don't act like I solely mess with him! He's just fun to mess with since he's new!"

"Is that so? Have you messed with the other newcomers yet that have joined recently?" Minato asked curiously. Bowser's face suddenly flinched, as he realized what Minato said was true. "I don't deny that you probably are a huge jerk to the others who also live here, when you choose to do so. But I do think you're targeting me as of late mainly, for some reason. I don't know what that reason is, and frankly I don't really care. But if you don't stop acting hostile towards me and my friends…"

Minato suddenly took out his Evoker, causing Bowser's face to become both confused and slightly nervous, as he had to admit now, that this blue haired teen had a lot of courage at the moment for standing up to him.

"I won't hesitate to put you in a full body cast, and I won't hold back. Understand?" Minato said seriously, as Bowser suddenly felt his face slightly turn into one of a winced expression of frustration and even slight fear. "That's all I'm going to say on the matter,"

Minato began to walk away, while Bowser was at a loss for words as he stood there. He raised both his fists and balled them up, as he felt anger rise into his face. Fuuka slowly walked after Minato but stopped as she decided to say one thing towards Bowser before walking away fully.

"You know Mr. Bowser… I think it be better if we all got along. The youngest of your children gets along with us. It be nice if we can at least get along better, compared to before," Fuuka said gently, before she followed Minato out of the hallway. Bowser's face calmed down slightly as he heard this, as he was unaware that Junior got along with those teens. Bowser just stood there, slowly thinking over the things he heard before.

"Hmph…" was all Bowser muttered to himself as he decided to head back to his room, as he decided to continue writing down future evil schemes he could possibly do.

* * *

We now see Minato and Fuuka taking the elevator down as they were heading to the ground floor. Both remained quiet, as the atmosphere still felt tense after they spoke previously with Bowser.

"Now we're going to see the Investigation Team. Let's check up on how they are," Minato said while Fuuka nodded to him. However Fuuka felt like asking something, that she was concerned about.

"Minato… was that the right thing to do?" Fuuka asked. "To what you just said to Bowser before?"

"To be honest… I don't know if it was," Minato said quietly. He couldn't blame Fuuka. What he said to Bowser was something he would say to someone along the lines of Strega from their world. Well more so Takaya or Jin out of Strega. "But it was something I wanted to say to him regardless."

"I see. Well I hope he improves," Fuuka said, as they reached the ground floor. As they walked out of the elevator, they saw a familiar face walk up to the two.

"Hey Minato. Hey Fuuka. How are you two?" asked Dark Pit calmly.

"We're both fine. Thank you for asking Dark Pit. How are you?" Fuuka asked back.

"Alright. Could be better, could be worse," Dark Pit answered calmly. "Anyway… to get to the point, can I ask you guys a favor in the future?"

"A favor? About what?" Minato asked curiously. Dark Pit tried to have his face remain stoic, but the more he thought about it, the more he slowly gritted his teeth as he felt awkward about asking this.

"It's about… a friend of mine. Ummm… well you see…" Dark Pit tried to speak as he felt it was difficult to get the words out, he wanted to say. Both Minato and Fuuka blinked their eyes, unsure of what Dark Pit was trying to say. "Err… look. This is kind of awkward for me to say here, now that I think about it. When I have the time I'll just invite you two to my room to discuss about it. When are you two free?"

"Well besides helping Minato train, we're generally free. But we're preparing to take care of something for next Friday," Fuuka answered.

"Well if that's the case, how about the day after next Friday, you two visit me in my room? I really got a favor I need." Dark Pit explained.

"Sure. No problem Dark Pit," Minato answered with a smirk, which caused Dark Pit to smile slightly cockily back. He shook hands with Dark Pit, and then Fuuka shook hands with Dark Pit gently. "We'll see you later. Just know if you change your mind, and want to see us earlier, let us know."

"No problem Minato. Good luck to you both See you two later in the future," Dark Pit said, as they bid farewell from each other, and headed their own ways. Soon Minato and Fuuka were outside of Smash Tower, as it was currently the afternoon, on a windy November day, as they currently went to go see their the Investigation Team. A week from today, they would be having dinner with eight chairmen at a restaurant called the Gourmet 64. Only time would tell, how that was going to work out.

**To Be Continued…**

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**What did you guys think? Notes as always.  
**

**1\. The date the Gourmet 64 opened up (April 26th, 1999) is actually the date the original Super Smash Bros for N64 released in the United States.**

**2\. Some restaurants in real life, are difficult to get into, due to their reservation only policy, and is present throughout the world.**

**3\. The two failed schemes that Bowser talked aloud to himself about, as he was trying to come up for new ones for his world, referred to Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario 3D World.**

**That's about it for now. As always if you have anything you want to say, criticize, bring up, etc, go for it. Next time, we see our two main protagonists have dinner and spend a lot of time with the chairmen. I wonder how that will be? I thank you all once again for reading and supporting my story so far, as it means a lot to me as usual. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and till next time!**


	45. The Dinner That Had Velvet Collaboration

**Chapter 45 is here as we finally move onto the next chapter. As usual time to address the previous reviews before moving on.**

**Dash master 48, you asked when Yu will fight? Well let's just say that is something to be wait and seen. As for your gag idea, and it was something to say the least for that chapter. Also I know you put a spoiler warning but it's probably best to not spoil or talk about things like that, especially for other series like Danganronpa (especially considering that Danganronpa 3 is still ongoing at the moment). I do appreciate that you, are still reading and enjoying the story.**

**As usual I want to say thanks to everyone who has been reading and enjoying this story so far, and I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

Minato and Fuuka were seated in the makeshift Velvet Room, as they were talking to Yu, Chie, Yukiko, Rise, while Elizabeth, Theodore, and Marie were in the room also listened. Yosuke, Kanji, and Teddie were busy elsewhere as they opted to get food at a restaurant by themselves. The four female Investigation Team members had just finished explaining what happened to them, regarding the killer robot that looked like a tree and was called Clanky Woods of all things. They soon finished this story, as both Minato and Fuuka took this all in. Minato had already heard the details but he wanted to hear more just to be sure, and Fuuka herself wanted to hear about it firsthand. Minato and Fuuka also took the chance to explain to the Investigation Team that the two were punished for their actions, and would most likely would not try anything against them for the remainder of the month, hopefully.

"Glad to hear those stupid jerk kings got their just desserts!" Marie said. "Jerks like those two definitely deserved it!"

"Well I'm glad those two are going to take a time out. Those two were a royal pain," Chie said.

"Till the rest of December at the very least," Yukiko added.

"Hopefully those two don't bother trying anything next month," Rise said with a sigh.

"In any rate, we're all currently fine," Naoto stated. "Thank you two for visiting to see us."

"It's no problem," Minato said. "Well it's good to know you're all right."

Suddenly the door to the room was being knocked on. Yu stood up as he walked up to open it and saw that Yosuke, Kanji, and Teddie were back.

"I thought you guys were having a meal together at a restaurant?" Yu asked, curious to see them back so soon.

"Sensei! They have a big special if you have at least a party of eight today!" Teddie exclaimed with a big grin.

"And what is that special?" Yu asked.

"It's free dessert senpai! Free ice cream for all parties of eight!" Kanji exclaimed. Chie looked ecstatic, Yukiko smiled, Rise jumped in joy, and Naoto looked pleased with the information, while Yu thought about it.

"We need you and the girls to come with!" Yosuke said with a big smile.

"Sure why not? Sorry to cut this meeting short Minato, but unless there's anything else you need to tell us, we'll be off shortly," Yu said.

"No it's alright. You all have a good meal," Minato said, as he and Fuuka bid the Investigation Team farewell. Soon only Minato, Fuuka, Marie, Elizabeth and Theodore remained in the room.

"Free ice cream… sounds like we need to find three more people," Marie whined, as counting herself and the others in the room, they would need more five more people.

"Actually Marie, we need to talk to you along with Elizabeth, and Theodore for some needed assistance," Minato said. This surprised Marie, while both Elizabeth and Theodore bore curious expressions upon their faces instead.

"Oh really? What assistance do you need from us, my guest?" Elizabeth inquired, as she was very curious to see what Minato had in mind.

"I need you three to help me out with a restaurant," Minato said. Theodore in particular looked really confused when he heard this.

"Assistance regarding… a restaurant?" Theodore asked confused. Both Minato and Fuuka nodded.

"Someone who can serve as our waiters and help us out," Minato explained. "I'm having dinner with people I don't trust for multiple reasons,"

"But how exactly is this going to work?" Marie asked. Minato beckoned for Elizabeth, Theodore, and Marie to sit on the couch across from his and Fuuka's as he wanted to explain.

"Well this is what I had in mind…" as Minato explained his ideas to them. Theodore looked unsure, Marie was contemplative, while Elizabeth was ready to help her guest out with excitement. The three ended up agreeing with the plan, as they wanted to help Minato out.

Later that same day, as it was now night, we see the outside of a large restaurant. It had a very clean, sleek and modern design. It had black marble flooring, clean glass walls, and had ambient lighting. On top the restaurant had a decorative structure that resembled the Smash Bros symbol, made out of crystal, and looked beautiful. It was truly a fine dining restaurant where one could get a great experience. Inside were many white marble tables, with fancy seating that was occupied by many well-dressed guests. Besides eating immaculate food and drink, many liked to watch live Smash Bros matches on the large high definition monitors present. The current match was a four way free for all between Ryu, Cloud, Bayonetta, and Corrin. The fight was taking place on the Umbra Witch Tower as the four combatants. People spectated, ate and drank, and/or conversed happily as the restaurant was a great place to be at New York.

Marie was walking there and she had also changed her appearance somewhat. She was wearing an all-black version of her attire, dyed her hair with light blue hair, carried a bag of the same color and was wearing a hat of the same color of her dyed hair as well. For this plan, it required her, along with Elizabeth and Theodore to change up their appearance, to at least be on the safe side. Marie walked into the restaurant as she entered, and was greeted by a female hostess.

"Hello miss. Do you have a reservation with us?" the hostess asked as she wore a black waitress uniform, that had a platinum colored Smash Bros styled pin on her lapel.

"Actually… I was wondering if your restaurant was hiring any new employees?" Marie asked.

"No problem miss. Give me a few moments to check if we need any additional employees," the hostess replied back. She briefly left her position as she went to speak with other employees who weren't occupied. She soon came back to inform Marie of what she had learned. "What good timing miss. We actually are willing to hire some more people. We need some more waiters and waitresses."

"Perfect. Myself and two people I know currently need a job," Marie said, very grateful they had some openings, or else Minato's ideas could not be implemented. "Can we start tomorrow?"

"That is no problem miss. Let me get you three forms for yourself and your two friends, to fill out. You can bring it back and start tomorrow morning," the hostess responded. She briefly left her post again, and quickly returned holding three employee applications for her. "We look forward to working with you and your two friends in the future,"

"Thanks. Good night," Marie said as she took the three forms and headed out. When she got outside, she smirked, as it was going all well so far. "Let's hope the plan keeps working out."

Some days had passed since then. We now see Marie, Theodore, and Elizabeth inside the restaurant. Elizabeth and Theodore had dyed their hair to be black, and were wearing black waiter and waitress uniforms respectively as they fit the qualification to make it in. Marie also wore a waitress uniform, as the three were now currently working at the Gourmet 64. So far the three were highly praised for their work ethic (mostly Elizabeth and Theodore, as Marie sometimes had trouble keeping her composure dealing with people) and have so far integrated working into the restaurant with no problems.

One of the main reasons the three became workers was about to become clear as it was the night before the date where Minato and Fuuka would have dinner with the chairmen in the restaurant. It was closing time, as the restaurant was closing up, and the manager of the restaurant had called all the employees for a meeting in the kitchen, which also included Elizabeth, Theodore and Marie.

"Tomorrow night we are having the eight chairmen of Smash Corp for dinner as well as two special guests of theirs. You all are to be on your best, even more so then usual. Is that clear?" the manager spoke. All the employees nodded in response. The manager then pulled out a large envelope manila envelope that caught every worker's attention. He took out a document from the envelope and quickly overlooked it before getting back to the others. "Also we have special instruction when serving the eight chairmen and their two guests. Just wait a moment, as I'll go and make copies for everyone,"

The manager left the kitchen, as all the employees inside talked to each other with speculation. Marie, Theodore, and Elizabeth spoke with each other as they were sure this was something along the lines of what they needed for Minato and Fuuka. Soon the manager came back and held multiple copies of the document, and started giving them all out, and soon they all began to spread them out among the employees.

"Now seeing how we're all employed under Smash Corp, if we don't follow this, there is a good chance we're out of the job," the manager said, as all the employees nodded, as they looked over the document. Marie, Elizabeth, and Theodore seeing the note, did not look pleased at all. It was something they would definitely have to discuss with Minato and Fuuka as soon as possible, as all the employees began to leave the kitchen and head home.

We now see the three outside, as Marie felt like tearing her document apart, from what she just saw and read.

"Those eight chairmen jerks! No way are they going to mess with Minato and Fuuka like that!" Marie pouted.

"It is concerning, how far those eight individuals will go to… take the actions they want to do," Theodore said concerned.

"Fortunately, my guest's ideas are working so far. We shall inform him of this information and let him take it from there," Elizabeth said, ready to help her guests. "I believe those eight chairmen will be the ones surprised by tomorrow's dinner,"

The next morning came, as Elizabeth had contacted Minato last night, for him and Fuuka to come see the three at their makeshift Velvet Room. Both Minato and Fuuka were overlooking the documents, that the trio had managed to get for them,

"The two guests are to receive food and drink tampered with from the cooks, to make them more susceptible to suggestion, as specified by the chairmen of Smash Corp." Fuuka read out loud, with disappointment, that the chairmen would stoop this low.

"Susceptible to suggestion huh… maybe they don't want me to fight The Master after all." Minato said with mixed emotion, unsure how to feel about this development. "Well seeing how these eight chairmen are willing to play dirty, I say we play dirty ourselves,"

"What do you have in mind, my guest?" Elizabeth asked with a mischievous smile. Minato merely smirked as he had some ideas he had in mind for that night, as he discussed his ideas towards them. Needless to say, it was one that they were all willing to work out.

* * *

It was now November 13th of 2015. It was a cool night as the Autumn leaves fell from any trees that still bore them, as the wind blasted by the city. Minato wore a traditional black suit, blue tie, and black shoes as he dressed nicely for the dinner. Beside him was Fuuka who wore a teal blue dress, and white high heels for tonight's occasion. The two walked inside and were greeted by the hostess.

"Ah. Mr. Arisato and Ms. Yamagishi. The eight chairmen who run Smash Corp have already arrived and are awaiting you two. Let me please take you two towards your seats," the hostess said, as she walked them over to a large round circular table. The eight chairmen were already seated, with two empty seats together. Minato sat on the left empty seats, with the chairmen wearing the odd numbered name tags to the left of him, while Fuuka took the empty seat to the right of Minato's with the chairmen with the even numbered name tags to the right of her. "I shall go get someone to service you all.

The hostess left, as Minato and Fuuka and the chairmen all looked towards each other. The chairmen all wore confident smiles, Fuuka felt slightly at unease, while Minato just had a calm expression on his face.

"Well Mr. Arisato and Ms. Yamagishi, you both look very well dressed for tonight's dinner," Crimson said.

"Yes. You two look very nice, as my red wearing brother has pointed out," Azure calmly pointed out.

"Eh. Our color coordinated suits look better," Jade mumbled out loud, somewhat grouchily.

"But we kind of wear the same thing every day… sort of," Sky lazily said out loud.

"You mean we wear the same kinds of suit, not the exact kind of suits," Fuchsia corrected.

"We kind of stink otherwise. Be bad for a multiplayer game session," Sunset mused as he was focused on playing his 3DS system, a game of Tetris DS.

"Well we don't stink and we don't smell, so let's please stop talking about this," Golden said to steer the conversation away.

"Let's just order our dinner," Ash bluntly stated. "Mr. Arisato and Ms. Yamagishi… you two should look over this restaurant's menu. We will pay for the entire meal, so order as much as you want,"

"We will," Fuuka said quietly, as both her and Minato overlooked the menu. In reality, the two had other things in mind.

"Welcome to the Gourmet 64. May we take your orders?" said the cheerful voice belonging to Elizabeth, as she along with Theodore and Marie showed up their table. Both Minato and Fuuka smiled seeing the three while the eight chairmen looked… perplexed seeing these three employees.

"Hey… why do you three look-"but before Fuchsia could finish his words, he was interrupted by one of his brothers.

"Can it. I'm starving because I was too lazy to eat lunch because I wanted to save my stomach for dinner. We're ready to order food," Sky managed to yawn out, causing the purple wearing brother to glare at the cyan wearing one. "I want gourmet pizza with all the toppings and a glass of beer,"

"I'll take ribs and a watermelon sangria," Sunset said, his attention still drawn into the gaming system he held, while Elizabeth wrote down the orders she heard so far onto a notepad she held.

"Lobster macaroni and cheese, with champagne," Golden said cheerfully.

"Baked salmon with a Sauvignon Blanc white wine," Azure stated, as he eyed the three employees with skepticism, as he felt something was off.

"Good choices so far," Theodore calmly stated. "Have the rest of you decided what you have wanted?"

"Roast lamb with a cosmopolitan drink please," Fuchsia said quietly, as he too wondered about their three employees.

"Fried chicken with extra seasoning. I'll take a Jägerbomb drink," Jade said, as he too was skeptical of the three.

"A medium rare steak with a martini," Ash stated bluntly.

"I shall have spicy curry with a hot whiskey," Crimson said as he felt something was up, but he couldn't place it exactly.

"Thank you gentlemen so far!" Marie said with a smile as she then went to Minato and Fuuka. "What would you two like?"

"I'll have just a lobster bisque soup to start off with a cola," Minato said with a confident smirk.

"For myself I'll have a chicken noodle soup, to start off, and a cola as well," Fuuka said calmly.

"We have now taken all your orders, and will bring your food and drink when they are ready." Elizabeth answered politely, as she along with Theodore and Marie left their tables. Some of the chairmen were unsure what to think, while Fuuka and Minato decided to remain quiet. We now see Marie, Elizabeth, and Theodore giving tickets to the chefs as the three looked to each other and nodded. When the meals for that table were ready, and when they would bring them over, they would needless to say, intervene.

We now go back to the table that belonged to the chairmen brothers and with Minato and Fuuka. By this point the chairmen who were suspicious had calmed down as they were now focusing on talking with Minato and Fuuka.

"Now… Mr Arisato. It's been a while since myself and my brothers who run Smash Corp talked to you in such a manner," Crimson said.

"We still believe… you can make a choice that would be more beneficial towards yourself and Ms. Yamagishi," Azure added.

"Is that so?" Minato replied. "You guys still want me to join as an official fighter for your tournament,"

"Yes," Ash stated rather blunt as usual.

"You are such an oddball case, you know that?" Fuchsia stated. "It be so boring for you to go back to your world considering… your state in it, despite all the advantages staying and fighting in this one provides,"

"I have my reasons," Minato said with determination, while some of the chairmen rolled their eyes.

"Is that so? I disagree Mr. Arisato. Also this doesn't apply to just you. It also applies to Miss Yamagishi. After all, she can become an Assist Trophy if you end up joining as well," Jade said, still baffled by what he was hearing

"Well I currently have no interest in that still," Fuuka responded back bravely.

"Oh really? For the both of you… have you both made any more considerations? I mean this world from our point of view, be a happier place to be in, compared to yours for both of you," Golden said.

"A… happier place?" Fuuka asked, at the yellow chairmen's question.

"Definitely. You stinking Shadow Operatives are never going to be done fighting… well them Shadows…" Sky lazily yawned out. "Wouldn't you just chill here and assist your buddies here? Cheer your boyfriend on where you can be with him still?"

"I want to help protect the world I'm from still. The rest of SEES are still my friends," Fuuka answered back. "I want to help fight against the despair that makes that monster… Erebus… that forces Minato to chain him to his duty. I want to help end that,"

"Not going to happen. You and your buddies are playing a game you can't win," Sunset teased, as he decided to stop playing his gaming system and focused talking fully, as both Minato and Fuuka's attention were fully grasped, as one of the more comical and laid back chairmen brothers got serious with them. "It's like playing a MMO and trying to win a game that never ends,"

"Explain what you mean," Minato said, a bit curious himself.

"What my brother means is… she and her fellow Shadow Operatives are simply not going to ever end that kind of negativity that makes up that beast called Erebus," Crimson said.

"That is just not possible, or at the very least, highly improbable," Azure calmly added.

"Many people in your world… heck every world is always going to long for death," Jade said with snide.

"Death is always the back on everyone's mind to a certain extent. Is that safe to do? Is that smart to do?" Fuchsia said. "Face it, a lot of people just get tired of life for whatever reasons and want to end it,"

"Your world is never going to see the stop of that kind of thought," Ash stated bluntly. "It just won't,"

"It's unfortunate but that's just how it is." Golden added.

Minato and Fuuka were a bit taken aback, to hear the chairmen discussing such issues like that. But both kept up serious faces, as they continued to listen.

"Let me give you an example… like a year or two after the so called incident you guys were in, a bunch of other teens got involved in a crazy murder mystery that could have spelled disaster for your world," Sunset teased. "That kind of stuff? It's not going to end so easily in your world,"

"But the Investigation Team rose up to end it!" Fuuka answered. "They worked together to stop that incident and showed that people can be more positive to fight against that negativity,"

"So what? That just means that kind of negativity is never going to end as well. The kind that chains up Mr. Arisato to prevent the deity known as Nyx getting in contact with Erebus. That guy behind that incident… the detective that got fed up with his life… and decided to murder people for kicks… those kinds of people and the kind of negativity they bring is always going to be present," Sunset replied.

"Keep in mind, incidents involving the Investigation Team continued to occur after that. Such as the two fighting tournaments," Azure added.

"We're just stating reasons why you shouldn't go back to your world. Last time we tried to give you reasons to stay here." Golden said.

"Ignoring what my yellow wearing brother said... even disregarding the incidents involving the Investigation Team… I'm sure in the future at some point, more individuals will bring up a lot of negativity like that detective. Other adults full of sin that is naturally in everyone just wanting more," Crimson stated with a big dark smirk. "Heh. I can imagine others going nuts like that guy in some ways in the future."

"I'm sure someone… whether it be the Shadow Operatives or the Investigation Team… or anyone else, will fight against that kind of thing still," Minato replied. "Maybe I'll have to be chained to be against Erebus forever possibly but that is something I'm ready to risk and accept. Like I said before, I have my reasons,"

"Tch. Why don't you share those reasons with us Mr. Arisato?" Jade said with a bit of anger. "You keep talking about these reasons, but you have yet to elaborate with us, what these reasons are exactly,"

"Tell us these reasons," Ash stated bluntly. "The sooner the better,"

"Never," Minato said with a bit of anger in his voice, surprising all the chairmen by the tone he just took with them all. "I will never tell you assholes about that,"

Some of the chairmen clenched their teeth from hearing that, some just tried to look away, trying not to react, and some just blinked at what they just heard.

"Why do you refuse to tell us your reasoning Mr. Arisato?" Azure said calmly, as he tried to keep a calm composure.

"Why?" Minato asked. "For that I will tell you my reasons for,"

"And what reasons are those Mr. Arisato?" Fuchsia asked, as he crossed his legs, curious to see the response he'll hear.

"I don't trust nor like you eight at all. And frankly at the current moment, I don't see that changing anytime soon," Minato answered.

"All you had to do was sign the contract when we all first met early this year, and we could have all saved a lot of trouble," Sky whined. "A whole bunch of time and trouble wasted,"

"So why don't you like us Mr. Arisato?" Sunset asked playfully, curious to hear the answer.

"I don't like you eight along with your boss, for many reasons. But the biggest reason I don't like you eight… is especially what you all did to Fuuka in September after my last order," Minato said extremely seriously. The eight chairmen's faces became stoic as they listened. "I will never forgive you eight, along with your three elite bodyguards for what happened. Never. Just due to that incident alone, will I never confide my reasons for the reasons I'm fighting for my right to choose, to your group,"

The table went silent, as the faces of the chairmen had mixed reactions yet again. Minato had a serious expression on his face, while Fuuka was in awe, yet at the same time feeling concern for her lover considering who they were currently dining dinner with. Eventually the silence was broken as the chairmen eventually decided to speak up.

"Just know… you can always sign up anytime. Just thought I mention that," Golden said calmly and positively. "We do what we do, because we are devoted to serve The Master."

Azure then took out two contracts, and a blue pen, as he placed them in front of Minato and Fuuka. Both were contracts they were familiar with in the past, as they still remained unsigned.

"We will do what is needed to be done for The Master. Simple as that," Azure spoke. "I assure you… after tonight's dinner… perhaps you both will change your tune,"

"We'll see about that," Minato simply said with a smirk, as needless to say he was ready for what they had planned for him and Fuuka. We now see the kitchen as the food and drink for the table belonging to the table with the chairmen and both Fuuka and Minato. It was all now ready. The three had seen the cooks inject Minato and Fuuka's soups and colas with a drug called Scopolamine. The drugs effects were to make those effected by it, extremely susceptible to suggestion.

"Now take these to the chairmen and to their two guests as soon as possible," one of the chefs pointed out to Marie, Theodore, and Minato. The three just turned to each other and nodded.

"Before we do that, both Elizabeth and Theodore need to show you all something really quick," Marie said, confusing all the chefs that were in the kitchen with them. "Now!"

"A token of my esteem," Theodore calmly said, as he summoned his compendium. Theodore then summoned the Persona Lillith (which was of a women in snake tattoos and had a large snake around her body) perform a Sexy Dance technique, as all the workers in the kitchen were charmed.

"I apologize in advance," Elizabeth said with a mischievous smile, as she summoned her compendium and summoned the Persona Nebiros (A human figure in a red robe who had the appearance of a Necromancer), as the Persona went up to each worker and used an Evil Smile Technique to instill so much fear into them they were knocked out. Once all the workers were knocked out, both Elizabeth and Theodore looked towards Marie who had a really big smirk.

"Time I show those eight jerks why they shouldn't be jerks," Marie said as she took out a small glass bottle with a clear liquid inside it from her pocket that was labeled with "Laxatives," as she went over to each food and drink belonging to the chairmen, and poured a little into each of their dishes and drinks respectively.

We now see the table where the chairmen and where Minato and Fuuka sat. Elizabeth, Theodore, and Marie were bringing the food and drink that belonged to them all, as everyone on their tables saw their meals being brought to them. Elizabeth and Theodore signaled to Minato and Fuuka with winks, to not eat their food and drink, as they winked back at them in acknowledgement.

"Man I can't wait. The food here is always delicious!" Golden said with positive emotion, as the chairmen all began to eat and drink. However as they feasted upon their food, they noticed that Minato and Fuuka were not tasting their soups or drinking their colas.

"Mr. Arisato and Ms. Yamagishi… you both aren't eating?" Fuchsia asked confused as he stuffed himself.

"Not at the moment," Minato said calmly.

"Why is that?" Jade said curiously, as he took a swig from his alcoholic drink.

"We just don't feel hungry at the moment," Fuuka said calmly.

Suddenly, all of the chairmen felt a huge jolt of pain surge through all their stomachs. Some cringed, some gritted their teeth, and they all were wondering what just happened.

"My stomach hurts!?" Ash blurted out as the gray wearing chairmen held his stomach.

"I… I got to go to the bathroom!" Sky whined, as he also clutched his stomach. Minato, Fuuka, Elizabeth, Theodore, and Marie all calmly smiled as they saw this.

"What the heck is happening!?" Sunset complained as he also held his stomach from pain.

"**TO THE** **BATHROOM NOW!**" Crimson yelled out, as all eight chairmen ran to head to the restrooms in the restaurant. Everyone else stared at the eight with confused expressions, as they held their stomachs and comically ran from their tables. As soon as the eight were out of sight, both Minato and Fuuka got up and smiled.

"Good thing they're handling the tab. Come on Fuuka… let's have dinner somewhere else. Away from those eight chairmen," Minato said with a smirk.

"Sounds lovely Minato-kun. Sounds lovely," Fuuka said back warmly. She then thanked Elizabeth, Theodore, and Marie. "Thank you three for helping us out."

"It was fun giving those eight jerks a lesson. Hopefully, they'll let you guys do your own things and try not to force the decision on you two," Marie said.

"It was not a problem," Theodore said happily back, happy to help out.

"It was fun to be involved in such an idea," Elizabeth said back mused, and happy. "I am glad to be of service to my guest and his loved one. Enjoy dinner you two,"

"Thanks. I really appreciate this," Minato said with a smile, as he gently held Fuuka's hand and walked out of the restaurant, as they decided to head elsewhere for dinner. For the eight chairmen, the rest of the night was spent painfully in the bathroom, as they had to deal with their just desserts, as it were.

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

**So what did you guys think? Notes as always.**

**1\. The lines that Elizabeth and Theodore say when they summon one of many Personas (they can use during their optional Boss fight in Persona 3, though for Theodore is Persona 3 Portable) are lines they can say during said boss fights. Also the Personas they summon are ones that they can use during their boss fights as well.**

**2\. Marie and Elizabeth when they dye their hair when working at the restaurant is based off an alternate color they can have in Persona 4 Arena Ultimax. Theodore being not playable in that game, I has his alternate color and general appearance based on the same one Elizabeth had this chapter, due to them both being siblings.**

**3\. The drug that makes people extremely susceptible to suggestion (Scopolamine) is an actual drug that is in the real world. Very scary and is also known as The Devil's Breath.**

**4\. All the alcoholic drinks are based off real drinks one can have in real life. As well as the food one can have in this chapter as well.**

**That's it for now. I thank you all so much for reading this chapter and I hope you enjoyed it as I highly appreciate that. As usual if you have anything you want to say, criticize, bring up, etc, don't be afraid to do so. Till the next chapter!**


	46. Sneaking & Entering

**Chapter 46 is here! As usual I will address reviews made before moving on.**

**dash Master 48 I received your gag idea and appreciate it. Also yes that orange wearing chairmen loves to play his 3DS when he can.**

**Not much else to say though I do want to note, that this chapter is a bit of change of pace, just to note in advance and has a musical tune to listen too, if you want at a certain point. As always, I want to say thanks to everyone who has been reading and supporting my story, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

It was now November 14th, 2015 as it was the following day after that Friday, where Minato and Fuuka had dinner with the eight chairmen of Smash Corp. It was 10PM at the current time in the morning. Needless to say the next day, the eight chairmen were slumped in their seats in their meeting room. They were all silent and quiet as last night still haunted them, due to what happened. Needless to say, the eight were not looking to do anything involving Minato, Fuuka, or any of their associates for a long time as they remained silent and sitting down slumped and all eight looked very apathetic.

We now switch scenes to where we see both Minato and Fuuka were in Dark Pit's room as he was looking embarrassed. Both Minato and Fuuka sat together on a black couch, as they each both held a coffee mug filled with tea as Dark Pit was calmly taking deep breaths as he sat down on a black couch opposite them with a black coffee table in between them that had a TV remote and he was wondering if this was worth it as he held his own tea cup filled with hot brewed drink. He sighed and calmly took a sip from his cup as he decided to explain.

"So basically… if you two didn't already know… I kind of have a crush on Lucina… and I just feel it's time for me to… say how I feel towards her," Dark Pit calmly and slowly explained as he felt nervous. Both Minato and Fuuka nodded, understanding Dark Pit. "I just… I mean I understand if things don't work out between us if I do decide to ask, but I won't deny that it's probably going to sting emotionally. I guess I want to know… how do I do this kind of thing right?"

"To be fully honest… I'm not entirely sure if we're the best suited to help you with this kind of thing but we can try," Minato said with Fuuka nodding in agreement.

"We maybe a couple, but we're not love experts," Fuuka said gently back. "I just want you to know that Dark Pit,"

"I understand. I appreciate you two helping me in general that's all," Dark Pit said back with a smile. "I ask Pit but… well I like him like a brother and all but you know how he can get over the top at times. I just didn't want to risk anything involving him and all,"

"We understand. We'll do our best to help you out," Fuuka answered back calmly, as Dark Pit added a nod. "What can we do for you and Lucina…"

"Do you and her talk to each other a lot?" Fuuka asked.

"Yes. But… lately I just don't have much to talk with her about," Dark Pit answered back. He just sighed. "Maybe I'm too chicken if anything, compared to Pit. Pit at least has the balls to do a lot of things, even if they can be stupid or over the top compared to me,"

With a sigh of frustration, Dark Pit ended up slamming his coffee mug onto the coffee table (with the remaining tea in it miraculously not splashing any drops of tea) as it also caused the TV remote on the coffee table, to bounce up, and upon falling back onto the coffee table cause the power button to be hit. The HDTV that was in the room turned on, as a commercial just happened to be playing.

"Fan of Super Smash Bros? Ever wanted to collect figures of your favorite fighters? Now you can! On November 27th everyone can purchase figures of their favorite fighters!" said an enthusiastic narrator voice, as the commercial slowly showcased all the Amiibo figures. Once Dark Pit saw Lucina's Amiibo figure, his eyes suddenly gleamed with an idea, as he was hit with something he could do.

"That's it!" Dark Pit exclaimed, as both Minato and Fuuka looked confused at the dark angel. "I'll get Lucina an Amiibo of her as a gift!"

"That's not a bad idea," Minato said in response to what he heard. "I used to get Fuuka gifts while we were still socializing, during our time in high school,"

"Thanks Minato for them by the way," Fuuka answered with a blush and a smile, remembering such moments. She then shook her head to go back to focusing on the present. "You can get her an Amiibo when they come out on November 27th later this month,"

"Yeah. That's not a bad idea." Dark Pit said with a confident smile, as he was glad that commercial just came on. "Well I guess that's it for now, thank you two for being here for me at the very least,"

"No problem Dark Pit. Anytime you need someone to talk too, don't be afraid to speak with us," Minato said with a smile, as he finished his tea, and then stood up and shook hands with the dark angel.

"We're glad to help out, in any way Dark Pit. Take care," Fuuka said warmly as she also finished her tea and got up to shake hands with the dark angel herself.

"Thank you both. See you both in the future," Dark Pit said courteously, as he got up to open the door for both Minato and Fuuka. The two then left the room while Dark Pit was having one of those few moments he can smile for so long and so contently. He then heard a knock on his door which suddenly confused him, wondering if it was Minato and Fuuka who forgot something. He opened the door and saw his counterpart.

"Hey Pittoo! We going to get lunch?" Pit asked. Dark Pit nodded as he continued to have a big grin on his mouth. "You look awfully chipper Pittoo. Mind telling me what's making you so happy?"

"I just thought of the perfect gift to get for a close friend of mine," Dark Pit said with a smug smile. "I'm getting an Amiibo for her,"

"An Amiibo for a friend huh?" Pit said with a big sly grin as he had a strong feeling who this friend was. "I hope you preordered considering how fast those things are going to fly off shelves, considering the date it's releasing on. They're going to sell out for weeks and weeks, and maybe even months!"

"What do you mean? All I have to do is buy it on November 27th later this month… wait a minute… November 27th… that's the day after Thanksgiving…" Dark Pit said as he suddenly came to a sudden realization as he remembered something. Dark Pit suddenly had a face of frustration pop on his face. He had just suddenly remembered that November 27th was also the date of Black Friday. The day where many great sales and deals would begin, always after Thanksgiving where people go nuts to buy stuff.

"Am I going to get an Amiibo of Lucina at all?" Dark Pit questioned out loud, now having a scowl on his face as he considered Pit's words. "Gah! Well I'm not going to let The Master make me wait. I'm going to get the Amiibo I want right now!"

"And how exactly do you plan to do that?" Pit questioned, as he knew Dark Pit wasn't one for respecting authority, as he did not like the gods and goddesses frim the world they're both from.

"Simple. These Amiibo figures are made in a factory." Dark Pit said smugly.

"They're not just going to give us a free one you know?" Pit replied. Dark Pit however still looked confident.

"Who said anything about getting a free one? I'll take one for myself," Dark Pit said confidently.

"Are you nuts? A factory where they produce Amiibo is probably well guarded," Pit said.

"Not well guarded enough for King Dedede's Waddle Dees evidently," Dark Pit pointed out as he remembered that incident in the cafeteria back in September, when King Dedede was caught having an Amiibo of himself, before it was suppose to be out. "Though I highly doubt he help me considering he's gotten into big trouble recently apparently, and I don't think he risk getting into more trouble at the moment,"

Pit thought about everything he heard and considered what would be the best course of action. He wanted to help Dark Pit, but he was unsure if this was something they can pull off.

"Well are we good enough to sneak into a factory to steal one Amiibo figure? It's not like we're phantom thieves from some anime TV show or something..." Pit pondered out loud. "Sneak in… sneak in… sneak in... ah ha! I got an idea!"

"And what idea is that, Pit?" Dark Pit asked, both out of curiosity and concern. "What do you have in mind?"

"I know someone who is good enough to sneak, to get us an Amiibo!" Pit exclaimed, causing Dark Pit to raise his eyebrows with both curiosity and concern once more. "A friendly acquaintance,"

"And who is that person?" Dark Pit asked. Pit merely smirked back to his dark counterpart with a huge grin, causing Dark Pit to really wonder.

"Just follow me Pittoo!" Pit said excitedly as he ran out of the room, leaving Dark Pit bewildered.

"Hey wait! Wait for me!" Dark Pit complained, as he ran after his goody two shoes counterpart. "Why do you always got to be so difficult to work with, Pit!?"

* * *

We now see the chairmen's office. All eight had just taken some medicine, to help their bodies calm down after last night's episode. They all looked like they were ready to just sleep, as they just sat in their chairs, just content with sitting, as they looked tired out of their minds. Suddenly they heard someone knocking on the doors that led to their room. They just waited, hoping the three elite Mii Fighter guards would just make anyone go away, as they were not in the mood at the moment to deal with anyone. The knocking kept going as they laid still.

"Why aren't Gunner, Sword-Fighter, and Brawler making people go away?" Jade the green chairman whined. "I'm not in the mood to deal with people,"

"We said we give them off today from last week… unfortunately," Azure the blue chairman weakly and calmly answered.

"Oh yeah… that happened," Fuchsia the purple chairman whined, as the knocking on the door increased.

"Too tired to get up," Ash the gray chairman complained.

"Well you know me… lazy and now even feeling even lazier to get up," Sky the cyan chairman yawned out. "Someone else get the door please,"

"I do it, but I feel more burned out from a late night gaming session," Sunset the orange chairman whined.

"Feeling too negative to do it. Sorry," Golden the yellow wearing chairman said in response.

"Fine I'll get it," Crimson the red chairman stated, as he slowly and tiredly got up. He slowly and carefully walked to the doors and opened them up. He looked confused to be seeing a smiling Pit, with Dark Pit who only crossed his hands and looked annoyed. "What do you two want?"

"Can I… ask The Master a favor?" Pit asked.

"Depends…" Crimson said tiredly. "What's the favor exactly?'

"I want to bring a fighter from a previous tournament to hang out with!" Pit said with a big smile. Crimson had you been able to see behind his red sunglasses, was slowly blinking his red eyes from hearing that, while Dark Pit's face became very curious upon hearing that.

"No," Crimson said, as he then slammed the doors, and began to slowly walk back to his seat feeling frustrated. Suddenly he heard the doors being knocked on again, as he gritted his teeth as he was now starting to feel his temper rise. He walked back to the doors and opened them as he yelled out a response. "**THE ANSWER IS NO PIT!**"

"Pretty please? Pretty please with sugar on top?" Pit whined, as he clasped his hands together, and tried to act cutesy, while Dark Pit just recoiled from the action. Crimson began to grind his teeth, as he was starting to get really ticked off. "Please it'll only be temporary!"

"**FINE!** I'll humor your request!" Crimson snapped back, as Pit grinned, while Dark Pit just sighed at the scene that was happening. "I'll ask The Master to do that for you and we'll see if he does it! Which fighter?"

"Solid Snake," Pit said confidently, while Dark Pit's eyes became very curious about what he heard, as he heard of the fighter spoken of from the past, from fighters from the Brawl Tournament. "Also tell The Master to make him appear in my room!"

Crimson simply nodded and sighed, wanting to get this over with. He closed the doors that led to their meeting room and both Pit and Dark Pit waited outside. Soon after, Crimson came back out with an annoyed face.

"The Master… will grant your request," Crimson answered back irritably, wondering why The Master would allow this. Was he that playful a person to see what would come from doing this? This was what Crimson wondered to himself. "How long do you intend to have him around Pit? He can't fight in the current tournament and all,"

"I don't know. Couple of days, week or two… I just want to catch up!" Pit said. "It's only temporary! When we're done hanging out, he'll return to his world and all,"

Crimson just sighed once more and simply went back to his room, not wanting to deal with Pit anymore at the moment. Pit just turned to Dark Pit with a cheeky smile, while Dark Pit just felt unsure of the whole situation.

"Well let's go see Snake! You might get along with him!" Pit exclaimed, as he ran off, while Dark Pit just ran after his nicer counterpart once more, wondering if this was going to work out.

* * *

We now see a confused middle aged man who was currently wearing some casual clothes. He was wearing a blue sweater, camo pants, and brown shoes. He had brown hair, blue eyes, had some brown facial hair stubble, and was currently blinking his eyes slowly, unsure of what just happened. He was Solid Snake. Though in reality that wasn't his real name, but rather a code name many people knew him by. A soldier who had the skills to sneak like a spy, but the combat ability of a soldier. He wasn't the only one as his infamous father from his father, along with others in his family possessed such traits as well. Soon Pit busted back into his room, while Dark Pit walked slowly behind, as the white winged angel tackled Snake with a hug.

"**SNAKE! GREAT TO SEE YOU!**" Pit said excitedly.

"What… the… hell?" Was all Snake managed to say, as he calmly pushed Pit off him. "Am I back for another fighting tournament?" Is that happening again?"

"It's a long story, but we should get you your own motel room or something, at a separate place and we'll explain everything there." Pit said. Before Snake or Dark Pit could say anything in response, Pit ran out of his room, leaving the two to look at each other in the meantime. Snake looked at Dark Pit and noted the resemblance he had with Pit.

"You Pit's brother? A relative perhaps?" Snake questioned, as he knew how Mario and Luigi looked similar, and were siblings from his time in the Brawl Tournament. Before Dark Pit could reply to that, Pit came back holding a huge brown cardboard box.

"We can use this to sneak you out of Smash Tower!" Pit exclaimed, while Dark Pit was confused, while Snake just sighed. "Don't worry its clean! I got it from the cafeteria after they were done uploading the ingredients."

"You better tell me what is going on later," Snake grumbled as for now, he decided to go along with this. "You want me to sneak out in a cardboard box right?"

"Sort of," Pit said, as he explained to Snake, and Dark Pit what he had in mind. "You get in this cardboard box, while I and Pittoo carry you out!"

"Are you sure… that will work?" Dark Pit questioned, wondering if this was something that they could pull off. "Why can't we just have Snake head down with the elevator, or just stay here in Smash Tower?"

"I think it'll just cause more trouble to have everyone wondering why Snake is back, plus we want to make sure the heist for the Amiibo goes off without a hitch, so the less people that know about Snake the better," Pit replied.

"Can we just get this over with?" Snake complained, as both Pit and Dark Pit turned to the legendary soldier and nodded to him.

* * *

We now see Bayonetta wearing a formal white dress that had a white rose design on it, complete with a white sunhat atop her head, and was wearing normal black heels. She was smiling as she held a red lollipop in her mouth, and a white purse.

"A lady needs to treat herself once in a while," Bayonetta calmly said to herself with a calm smile, as she intended to go to the city and go on a shopping spree today for fun, as she had just exited Smash Tower and was outside. She then heard footsteps as she turned around and saw both Pit and Dark Pit carrying a large cardboard box. She noticed that they were walking rather slowly, as whatever the contents of the box was, proved to be rather heavy, as both were slowly walking with the box. "Well if it isn't the two angels. How goes you both? I see you're both carrying something,"

"Hey Bayonetta!" Pit managed to gasp out, as carrying Snake in that cardboard box proved exhausting as he and Dark Pit struggled to carry him, as he was also trying to make up an excuse for the cardboard box they held. "We're just … delivering something for someone!"

"And what might that something be?" Bayonetta said with curiosity laced in her words. "That is a rather large cardboard box you two are struggling to carry? You two remind me of a certain acquaintance of mine, when he was helping me by carrying my shopping purchases during the holiday season. Do you two require assistance?"

"No we're good! We're good!" Pit replied back in a panic. "As for what's in the cardboard box… ummm… you see…it's uhhh…something,"

"And what is that something little angel?" Bayonetta said teasingly, as her curiosity grew even more. Pit's face began to sweat as he tried to come up with a response. Luckily Dark Pit thought of something to say.

"If you beat me in our next match Bayonetta, I'll tell you," Dark Pit manage to speak out, as he grunted out, as carrying Snake proved heavy. "Sorry but we got to go. We're… running late. So later,"

"Very well dark angel. Take care you two. I look forward to our next match," Bayonetta replied. With that said, Pit and Dark Pit struggled to move faster, despite what… or rather who they were carrying with the cardboard box, as the two soon left the area. Bayonetta simply chuckled as both Pit and Dark Pit proved to be fun individuals to be around sometimes in Smash Tower. "Those two and their childish behavior."

* * *

We now see both Pit and Dark Pit in a nearby motel in Manhattan. The two provided Snake with a lot of his own cash, and both were in a motel room, with Snake sitting on the bed, while Pit and Dark Pit sat in wooden chairs in the room intending to explain the situation.

"Alright start explaining," Snake said. "Before I got… taken back to this world, I was heading to a meeting with other people in my organization, so I think it's time for me to know why I'm back here,"

"Your organization?" Dark Pit asked out of curiosity.

"Philanthropy. An organization myself and a friend started up from where I'm from, to take out weapons called Metal Gears. But that's not important right now," Snake explained, as Dark Pit recalled what he knew about the so called Metal Gears from what he heard from the other fighters. "What's important is for me to be clued in, to what is going on,"

"Alright alright." Pit said with a smile. "Basically… we need your help and we're the reason why you're here right now,"

"We? It was your idea to bring Snake back here!" Dark Pit shouted, as that was technically true, while Pit sheepishly smiled. "Don't make him hate me, for your ideas Pit!"

"Anyway… I need your help to sneak into a place and get something for us," Pit continued on, while Snake raised his eyebrows. "We need you to sneak into a factory and grab an Amiibo figure for us,"

"…Amiibo?" Snake questioned as he never heard of something like that before. "What is that?"

"Basically they're going to be figures that depict us Smash Bros fighters. We need you to get one based off a specific fighter," Pit explained. Snake however just placed a hand on his face, as he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"You took me out of my world and into this one… not to fight in the tournament again… but to steal a figure of someone for you?" Snake asked. "Are you serious Pit!?"

"Very," Pit said with a sheepish smile once more, while Snake grunted from frustration, as he personally felt he was hearing something very stupid. "Please Snake! I need this figure!"

"Why can't you just buy the figure like a normal person?" Snake whined. "Then again… during my time in the Brawl Tournament, everyone in general was generally not normal… then again, a lot of oddballs exist in my world as well…"

"Sorry to interrupt but… look I know what Pit is suggesting right now sounds really crazy but, it mean a lot to us if you did this," Dark Pit said. "There are reasons why we have to get the Amiibo early. I know this sounds crazy but this is really important for me personally if you did this. I don't mean to trouble you with this, but I really appreciate this, if you did this for me."

Snake took a look at both angels, as their faces looked at him with emotion, as they wanted him to do this. Snake just ended up sighing and took a couple of deep breaths before he answered them.

"Fine. But you guys better help me out with this." Snake reluctantly answered back.

"No problem Snake!" Pit exclaimed, while Snake sighed again, wondering what he got himself into. "What do you need?"

"A sneaking suit, locations of military shops so I can arm myself properly, a blueprint or a map of the factory of the place so we can plan this out, communication earpieces so we can stay in contact during the mission, and so on," Snake said, as he took a blank piece of paper, that was nearby on a table and wrote on it a list of equipment and items he would need. He then handed it to Dark Pit, who looked over it, and then nodded back to the soldier.

"No problem Snake. We'll get right on it," Dark Pit answered, as both angels decided to leave the motel room. Snake just laid his back on the bed, and stared at the ceiling wondering how this was going to go.

* * *

_*** Theme of Tara (Super Smash Bros Brawl) ***_

Time had passed as it was now night on November 21st as days had passed since then. Snake has since been informed by both Pit and Dark Pit what was going on with the current tournament, and prepping for this plan since then. It was now night time as the sky was very dark. We see a large brick factory from the outside that had the Smash Bros emblem placed all over it. The front had a gate where employees would come and enter. Various male security guards wearing blue guard uniforms (that all had the pin that said Mii pinned to the uniforms), black security guard hats, and black pants were seen walking around holding flashlights. Some wore black finger-less gloves to signify they trained under Brawler and knew hand to hand combat, some wore a sheath that had a long baton that signified they trained under Sword-Fighter, and some wore an ammunition backpack, and had a gun above their right hand, connected to said ammunition backpack, with these security guards having trained under Gunner. A large chained fence surrounded the factory in a square pattern.

From the distance, we see Snake on a grassy hill wearing his sneaking suit. His sneaking suit was a bluish gray, had various holsters for weapons and guns on him, a dark green bandana worn on his head, and was currently using a pair of binoculars to survey the area. Behind him was Pit and Dark Pit and both were wearing pure black sweaters, pants, sneakers, black gloves, a black ski hat, and small black domino masks.

"This place looks pretty well guarded for… figures of all things," Snake said, as he continued to survey the area. "This better work out you two,"

"It will… I hope," Pit said uneasily. "You know what the Amiibo figure of Lucina looks like, right Snake?

"Yeah. The girl that looks like Marth and is his descendant apparently," Snake said, as he took out a photo he was given by both Pit and Dark Pit. It depicted Lucina wearing her normal combat attire, she would wear during her matches in the current tournament. "All the new fighters since I've left… what an interesting bunch of new people,"

"You studied the map right?" Dark Pit asked. Snake nodded back in response.

"Yeah. A lot of rooms this factory has. Multiple manufacturing production rooms, a generator room, an office room, a cafeteria, and so on." Snake replied back. "One of the production rooms should be making the Lucina Amiibos. Just got to find it,"

"Good thing you're well equipped and armed right? Pit asked. Snaked nodded to the white winged angel.

"Yep. Got myself some chaff grenades, smoke grenades, and sleep grenades. Also a gas mask, thermal goggles, and night vision goggles. Also got myself a M9 pistol with tranquilizer rounds and a silencer attached to it." Snake said. "As you can tell by my arsenal, I intend to go fully non-lethal. These guys are just security guards for a factory that makes figures after all. Now then… you two know what to do right?"

"Yeah. There's a power generator behind the factory surrounded by a rectangular fence,." Pit said. "We made sure to survey the area earlier as well."

"We cut the power, so no lights will be inside, forcing the guards to rely on stuff like flashlights to see," Dark Pit said. "We're going to destroy it, so it'll no longer be an issue,"

"Good. Now be extremely careful with what I'm going to give to you both," Snake said, as he took out what appeared to be C4 (which was a plastic explosive), duct tape, and a detonator. He carefully handed the C4 and duct tape to Pit, and he carefully handed Dark Pit the detonator. "Let's head over there now, and take a look, just to be safe,"

The three carefully made their way to the back and were now hiding in green bushes and put on their earpieces to communicate with each other. They saw one sole security guard holding a flashlight was standing nearby and had a sword sheath on its back. Some distance away were large blue port a potties, for any security guards outside could use, if they had to use the restroom. Snake motioned to Pit and Dark Pit to be quiet as he took out a smoke grenade. He took a look at how far the security guard was as he prepared to throw it. With one clean underhanded throw, he tossed it towards the security guard and quickly put on his thermal goggles, so he be able to see where the security guard was, from the smoke the guard would soon be in.

"Huh? What the-"but before the security guard could say anything more the smoke grenade took effect. The security guard was just baffled as a heavy cloud of grey smoke erupted, and he couldn't see anything around himself. Before he could do anything more, Snake suddenly rushed in, and grabbed the security guard. Before the guard could scream out for help, Snake threw the security guard forward and the guard slammed into the ground hard, now knocked out. Snake then took out his M9 pistol and shot a dart into the security guard, as he knew a sleeping guard would stay knocked out a lot longer compared to one just knocked out, as the guard soon began to snore. He then picked the guard up and began to drag the security guard towards the blue port a pottie.

"Now place the C4 on the power generator," Snake said, as the two angels heard over the head piece. Pit ran to the power generator that was surrounded by a fence. Pit climbed over the fence and carefully open the power generator panel. He carefully placed the C4 and used the duct tape to stick it onto the generator. He then quickly ran and climbed out of the area, as he went back the bush where Dark Pit was, now holding the detonator for the C4. Snake had opened one of the blue port a potties and placed the sleeping knocked out guard on top of the toilet, in a sitting position, and then he closed the door. "Now it's time to make the factory get really dark. You guys ready?"

"Ready," Both Pit and Dark Pit quietly said in response.

"On my count…when I say now, press the button," Snake said, as he carefully sneaked over back to the front of the factory where the gate to enter was present. He carefully surveyed the area and saw a camera near the gate, as he took out a chaff grenade. "Three… two… one, now!"

Dark Pit calmly placed his right index forward as he pressed the button on the detonator. An explosion soon occurred, as the power generator behind the factory blew up, and the lights in the factory all went out. Many guards who were patrolling outside the factory but within the fence border were just confused, and soon began to head towards the back of the factory. Snake released the pin on the chaff grenade as he tossed it forward and it soon exploded, causing the camera that was nearby the gate to be temporarily out of order.

"We'll keep a look out on the outside, to see if anything happens that we need to inform you about," Dark Pit said quietly, to Snake.

"Thanks. I appreciate having support," Snake said, as he carefully made his way through, as he made a run for it. Thankfully the sneaking suit he wore, reduced the noise he made while he made his way to the factory. He soon found himself inside a room that was really dark, as he put on is night vision goggles, and saw he was in some sort of entrance room.

"Good luck Snake!" Pit said, as he and the dark angel were moving around the outside, carefully moving around as they did not want to get caught themselves. "You can do this,"

"Yeah yeah." Snake grumbled back as he took out a map and looked at it, "Multiple manufacturing production rooms… better start going through them,"

The map showed that he was currently in the entrance room. They had six manufacturing production rooms in the factory. He headed down a hallway that would lead to one of them.

"Snake I was thinking about something…" Pit suddenly said, as Snake arrived at one of the rooms. It was currently empty as all the guards were currently investigating the power generator behind the factory. It had various conveyor belts and machinery, and boxes filled with Amiibos.

"Thinking about what?" Snake grumbled as he began to survey to see if Lucina's Amiibo was made in this room. "This isn't some chat thing we're doing, this is me trying to get something for you two, so make it quick,"

"I was just wondering, do you ever get tired of this sort of thing?" Pit said.

"What? Tired of what?" Snake said quietly back as he began to look through the lines of Amiibo being produced. "Also no Lucina Amiibos in this room. Going to head to the next one,"

"The sneaking stealth soldier thing," Pit said nonchalantly as he was currently walking around outside the factory, still surveying for Snake.

"Yes and no." Snake simply said, as he opened a door in the room that led to another manufacturing production room. "Yes because I don't like dealing with all the stuff that comes from those missions… and no because someone's got to do it, to stop production of stuff like Metal Gears,"

"Huh. Just saying. I was kind of bored," Pit said, while Snake rolled his eyes from hearing that, as he began to search the second manufacturing production room. "Do you miss fighting in our tournaments?"

"…Kind of." Snake said quietly back, as he had to admit, while it was a crazy experience, it was one he ultimately enjoyed and decided as long as he was being quiet, he be okay with conversing at the moment. "But my priority right now is working to take down Metal Gears back home,"

"Yeah. I get what you mean. Priorities and all," Pit said back. "You're working with friends of your right?"

"Yes. Otacon and Mei-Ling are helping me out still," Snake replied, as he mentioned two friends of his, as he noticed after some looking around, that this room did not have any Lucina Amiibos. "Two rooms down, four more to go. Hopefully the next one has one of those Lucina Amiibos,"

"You must have been surprised seeing Lucina." Pit said. While Dark Pit who was listening in, just rolled his eyes. "Her looking like Marth and all,"

"I won't deny that. But judging by the newcomers this time around, I've seen crazier," Snake mumbled back as he arrived in the third manufacturing room. "Like the duck and dog that fight together apparently… I just don't get how those two animals are a thing, fighting together,"

"Those two can be quite the handful," Pit said with a smirk. "I bet you also got a kick from the other newcomers as well,"

"No kidding. A fitness trainer? The round… lemon ball guy, and the witch with the four guns," Snake pointed out as he looked around. "Lots of interesting fighters this time. Anyway… it looks like I need to check out the three remaining rooms,"

"Snake look out. The security guards are starting to head back to the factory." Dark Pit said worriedly. "Also I saw one of them on the phone. I think there's a good chance they called the police so you better be more careful,"

"Good to know. I better hurry up," Snake said quietly back, as he decided to hasten his search. Pit stopped with the conversations, as he knew Snake had to focus. Snake quickly went through the fourth and fifth rooms, as they turned up having no Lucina Amiibos. He quickly made it to the last manufacturing production room and quickly looked. "Bingo! Found one finally!"

Snake grabbed a Lucina Amiibo, and smirked. He then heard footsteps coming, and quickly looked around. He noted that he took the Lucina Amiibo, from a large cardboard box full of them, and quickly picked it up and emptied the cardboard box of its contents. He then quickly placed it over himself, as he soon heard footsteps directly enter the room.

"Hey. Look at that cardboard box over there," one security guard said.

"It looks like it was emptied, and all the Lucina Amiibos spilled out," another security guard said.

"Let's take a look," a third guard said, as they slowly walked up to it. The third security guard poked the box, causing Snake to grit his teeth in frustration, as he was very close to being caught. "Maybe we should turn it over?"

Snake hearing this decided to do something drastic. He quickly put on his gas mask, and immediately took out a sleep grenade and a smoke grenade. He unpinned both grenades and hoped they soon explode. Just as the security guards slowly lifted the cardboard box up, both grenades released both smoke and sleep gas respectively, causing the whole room to be filled with both smoke and sleep gas. The three security guards were now on the ground sleeping, while Snake quickly got out of the cardboard box.

"Time to get out," Snake said, as he decided to make a run for it. He quickly took out the map and saw that the manufacturing production room he was in, and noted that this room in particular was connected to the garbage room, which had an exit to the back. "Got it,"

"Tell me if there are any guards nearby the back of the factory now," Snake said as he took the cardboard box and ran with it, in case he needed it again.

"Not at the moment. They're all in the front now from what I saw, waiting for the police," Dark Pit stated.

"Perfect. Rendezvous with me at the back of the factory, as soon as possible," Snake said as he was now in the garbage room that had a furnace for burning trash, many garbage bags, and an exit door.

"No problem Snake. We'll meet you back in the bushes behind the power generator behind the factory. Over and out," Pit said. Snake soon found himself emerging out the back of the factory and quickly looked around. As Dark Pit said, no guards were currently present. Snake discarded the box as he quickly sprinted forward, climbed the fence that was around the factory's backside, and quickly headed to the bushes. Dark Pit was already there waiting, and soon Pit joined them.

"Here's your Lucina Amiibo," Snake said as he handed Pit the Amiibo to hold. Dark Pit's eyes had a huge sign of relief, and of satisfaction that this all worked out. "I'm going to head back to the motel I was staying at."

"Thank you so much Snake. We really appreciate it," Pit said happily, as Dark Pit nodded showing said appreciation. "I'll get you sent home as soon as possible,"

"Thank you so much Snake. Maybe we'll meet again someday?" Dark Pit said, in thanks.

"Yeah yeah. I guess it was nice seeing you Pit… and getting to know you Dark Pit. You two take care and stay out of trouble alright? I got stuff back home to take care off," Snake said, as he headed off. "Maybe one day I'll meet the other new fighters if I ever get properly brought back for a tournament. Anyway, take care you two,"

With that, Snake carefully headed off, as Pit and Dark Pit looked at each other and nodded. It was time they head back to Smash Tower. Sometime later, we see both Pit and Dark Pit in their normal attire, walking up the chairmen's room. Dark Pit had placed the Lucina Amiibo in a drawer in his bedroom, hiding it for the moment. Pit knocked on the door, and an angry Crimson could be seen exiting it.

"**WHAT!? WHAT DO YOU WANT!?**" Crimson said as he had lost his temper due to what had happened to the factory earlier. "**I AND MY BROTHERS ARE BUSY WITH TRYING TO RESOLVE AND HANDLE A SITUATION AT THE MOMENT!**"

"Can you ask The Master to bring Snake back to his home world now? We're done hanging out with him," Pit said somewhat nervously, as he hadn't expected the chairman to be so angry, while Dark Pit's face tensed up slightly.

"**IF IT'LL GET YOU TO LEAVE US ALONE AT THE MOMENT THEN FINE! GIVE ME A MOMENT!**" Crimson yelled back, somewhat surprising and intimidating both angels, as the chairmen went back into the meeting room that belonged to them. The red wearing chairman slammed the door, and soon he came back out. "**I TOLD THE MASTER AND HE WILL DO IT AT THIS MOMENT. NOW LEAVE!**"

With that, Crimson slammed the doors again, while Pit had a cheeky smile, while Dark Pit felt glad that was all over. The two decided to retire for the night, as they decided that Dark Pit should give it to Lucina the next day. It was now November 22nd and in the morning. Dark Pit was sitting at a bench in the indoor park, in Smash Tower. He held a wrapped blue present with a red ribbon that had the Lucina Amiibo within it. Nearby Pit was watching from a bush, as he wanted to see how this would go, as Dark Pit invited the blue haired girl over. Soon she came by, wearing her usual attire and with a smile.

"Hey Dark Pit. How are you?" Lucina said as she sat down next to the dark angel. "Also… what are you holding?"

"Hi Lucina." Dark Pit responded somewhat quietly and a bit nervously. "As for what this is… well why don't you open it?"

Dark Pit handed the gift to Lucina, who looked a bit confused. She slowly removed the red ribbon, and soon she opened the present. Her eyes were filled with surprise and excitement.

"Dark Pit! It's… it's an Amiibo of me! Thank you!" Lucina said, as she hugged Dark Pit who only blushed in response. "How did you get this? They're not suppose to come out till Black Friday I thought?"

"Let's just say, I had some help," Dark Pit said a bit sheepishly. "Also please keep this between us. You saw what happened to Dedede when he was caught with his Amiibo two months ago, before they're out,"

"Of course Dark Pit," Lucina said back with a smile. "But why did you do this for me?"

Dark Pit took a deep breath as he decided it was now or never, while Pit nearby was biting his fingernails, as he felt nervous for his dark counterpart.

"Lucina… I kind of have… a crush… on… you," Dark Pit managed to stammer out, as Lucina blushed from hearing that. "So I wanted to impress you and make you like me and…-"

But before Dark Pit could say anything more, Lucina gave the dark angel another hug, making him stop talking. When she released the hug, she took a deep breath herself, before exhaling, as she decided to tell Dark Pit some things.

"Dark Pit… that's very sweet and nice of you. I really appreciate it. I do." Lucina said, while Dark Pit smiling that. "But… I'm sorry to say… that I already am with someone… from my own world,"

Dark Pit's face frowned, but he slowly nodded understanding the words he just heard, while Pit nearby had comical tears emerge from his face, feeling bad for his counterpart and realizing he lost a bet he made, with a certain Koopa King a while back. A certain bet that the loser would have to dress up in a tutu, and dance to the song of the winner's choice in front of someone else. He was now the loser, as they agreed whether if Dark Pit would get with Lucina or not, and Pit had made a bet they would. As the current scene was showing, that was not the case.

"I guess I'll tell him after he's no longer punished. In December I'll tell him," Pit whispered to himself, as he knew the Koopa King was currently in trouble, and didn't want to bother him.

"I understand Lucina." Dark Pit said as he regained his smile, as the two gave each other a friendly hug. "It's fine. Better to know the truth and all. I still want you to enjoy your Amiibo,"

"Thanks. I will. I'll put it in my room, and it'll always be a reminder of our friendship," Lucina said happily. "We'll always be friends. See you later Dark Pit."

Lucina then walked away, as Pit slowly emerged from where he was hiding, as he wanted to check on Dark Pit.

"You okay Pittoo?" Pit asked concerned. Dark Pit just sighed and folded his arms.

"Yeah… I will be. Let's get ice cream or something." Dark Pit said.

"You took it pretty well all things considering." Pit said, as both began to walk and to head out of the indoor park. "Come on. It'll be my treat for ice cream,"

"Thanks Pit." Dark Pit simply said, with a smile as they decided to head out and get themselves ice cream, as they both knew the truth, and in Dark Pit's case, he was glad to know if it would work out or not, and move on from that.

**To Be Continued...**

* * *

**So how was that? Notes as usual.**

**1\. This chapter I wanted to give a breather from the main plot, and have some focus on the Smash Bros characters, and to give them more focus. That's not to say we won't return to the main plot (we will next chapter) but this chapter was something I wanted to write, to show the cast from the Smash Bros side to have their spotlight as well.**

**2\. That moment with Bayonetta wearing her white dress references the opening cut scene (at a certain point) of the Prologue-World of Chaos from Bayonetta 2, as that is what she wears during the beginning of it as she is doing some holiday shopping (and is also a unlockable costume to wear in game during gameplay) in Bayonetta 2. The acquaintance that Bayonetta refers to is a man named Enzo (who appears in both Bayonetta 1 &amp; 2), as Enzo is carrying all of Bayonetta's shopping bags and presents.**

**3\. Snake's casual clothing is a reference to Snake's casual clothing during the briefings in Metal Gear Solid 4. The only difference is that Snake here is still young, and not old yet.**

**4\. Philanthropy was an organization that both Snake and Otacon setup to stop Metal Gears during their world, in between the events of Metal Gear Solid 1 and Metal Gear Solid 2. Snake, Otacon, and Mei-Ling are all members, though other members also exists.**

**5\. All of what Snakes uses are weapons and items he has used throughout his own series with one exception. The M9 Pistol from Metal Gear Solid 2, smoke grenades from Metal Gear Solid 4, the chaff grenades from Metal Gear Solid 1, the cardboard box from many Metal Gear games in general and C4 from the MSX Metal Gears and Metal Gear Solid 1. Sleep grenades were only present in two games he wasn't involved in (Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain).**

**6\. Lucina mentioning she already had someone, references the fact in Fire Emblem: Awakening, one can pair up certain characters, and depending on the characters they may possibly be married. **

**7\. Theme of Tara originated from Metal Gear on the MSX, and has been remixed throughout the series (such as serving as the VR Missions theme in Metal Gear Solid 1 for the the Playstation 1). A remix was made in Brawl, based on said theme that plays on the Shadow Moses Island stage.**

**That's it for now. I hope you all are enjoying this story and the latest chapter so far. As usual, if you have anything you want to comment, point out, state, etc, don't be afraid to do so. Till the next chapter!**


	47. Thankful For The Moments & Time Together

**Chapter 47 is finally here! And yes Dash Master 48, that was indeed the return of Solid Snake in the previous chapter (though it was only for one chapter and all). I just want to take the time to say thanks to everyone who has been reading my story so far as I still highly appreciate it.**

**Not much else to say but I hope you've been enjoying the story so far, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

It was now the morning of November 25th which was the day before Thanksgiving. The SEES members were all dining with Investigation Team at a diner for breakfast, as the two groups decided to have discuss what they were planning to do for tomorrow since it was Thanksgiving and the two groups had decided to celebrate.

"So what do you guys want to do for Thanksgiving tomorrow?" Minato asked calmly, as he knew some members from both groups were eagerly awaiting the holiday.

"Let's go to a big fancy restaurant for food!" Teddie proclaimed.

"As long as it's not the Gourmet 64..." Yukari said uneasily, as she could imagine how going back there could prove to be bad, after Minato and Fuuka's dinner with the chairmen.

"Yeah. Those chairmen guys must be aware of what happened, and so does their staff and all." Junpei added.

"Well Manhattan is the kind of place, where you can find a lot of high class restaurants. It's not like we have to go to one specifically," Akihiko added.

"Indeed. That shouldn't be an issue," Mitsuru added. Koromaru barked as Aigis listened for the Shiba Inu.

"Koromaru said he be just happy, getting a big turkey leg to snack on," Aigis said, as Koromaru barked happily as Fuuka petted the dog with a smile.

"Yeah. Same for me," Shinjiro said calmly. "Give me a big turkey leg, and I'm good with just the food,"

"It's not all about the food though," Ken pointed out. "It's just a good time to celebrate with with friends, and to give thanks,"

"That is true Ken-kun." Fuuka said. "I'm just glad we'll all have a good time together. Still we need to pick out a restaurant for tomorrow's events,"

"While walking around the city one day, I saw a really nice place we can eat at. We can even get our own private room and all," Kanji suggested. "Plus a really good Thanksgiving meal and all,"

"That sounds all really good." Yukiko said pleased with the suggestion. "We should immediately book a reservation,"

"Oh yeah! Tomorrow's dinner is going to be so awesome for Thanksgiving!" Chie shouted in excitement. "I can only imagine... all the mashed potatoes with gravy, stuffing, pumpkin pie, macaroni and cheese, sweet cornbread, and most importantly of all... a big juicy tender turkey!

"Man you are spoiled on good food from all the free money Elizabeth gives us," Yosuke said while Chie looked back at Yosuke annoyed.

"I'm spoiled? I saw you already pre-ordered every Amiibo for yourself Yosuke, when we went shopping the other day at the mall," Chie replied back, causing Yosuke to have an annoyed expression pop up in this place, while the SEES members were surprised to hear about that.

"You're buying every Amiibo for yourself dude?" Junpei asked. "That's pretty expensive."

"Yeah. An Amiibo is about thirteen dollars. To have one on every fighter, is going to cost you a lot," Yukari pointed out.

"There's about fifty fighters, so fifty times thirteen would be..." Yukiko said out loud doing the math in her head. "Six hundred and fifty dollars."

"That is also not factoring in tax," Aigis added as a reminder.

"You didn't think to just get a couple and not all of them?" Akihiko asked out of curiosity.

"Well I planned to get one... but then I wanted to get another one... and another one... and then another one..." Yosuke said a bit uneasily. "Then I just ended up, wanting to get them all, alright!?"

"Geez Yosuke sempai. Big spender on all those Amiibo figures huh?" Kanji said.

"I figure it be nice to have some souvenirs for back home, considering we aren't going to be here forever," Yosuke said with a sheepish face. Minato's face scowled very briefly, but he quickly hid it away, as he realized what Yosuke said at the end of his sentence reminded him of a certain thing he still had to do. Fuuka however noticed it but kept it to herself. "Not that I forget all of us being taken to an alternate New York City and dealing with all the crazy smashing stuff since then,"

"Anyway, I guess I'll admit we have a lot more to spend, compared to the allowance I get back home admittedly," Chie replied. "Just know being spoiled at the moment applies to you as well Yosuke,"

"Fine. I'll admit that." Yosuke whined back. "I'm still getting all those Amiibo for myself though…"

"Anyway… speaking of Elizabeth we should invite her!" Rise said out loud, to change the subject.

"Her along with Theodore and Marie. They are our companions as well," Naoto added.

"That sounds like a good idea. I have no problems with that." Yu said. "We'll all meet up tomorrow night for that dinner at that place Kanji suggested,"

While everyone conversed about this, Minato couldn't help but feel deep down a bit concerned. He had yet to tell any of them that they would lose their memories of their time here in this world yet. Himself, all the SEES members, all the Investigation Team members, and as well as Elizabeth, Theodore, and Marie. They would all forget their times here from this world, if he won his upcoming match against The Master and choose to not be a fighter. Minato sighed, as the thoughts of how to handle telling everyone else this, lingered his mind. The date was soon approaching as December 30th was getting closer and closer. That faithful day where Minato would face off against The Master in one final battle, that would determine his future and fate.

* * *

It was now the afternoon that same day as we see Minato back at Smash Tower. He was in his bedroom and was calmly staring at the ceiling as he laid on his bed, and was currently wearing a blue t-shirt and blue pajama pants as he was feeling rather casual and laid back somewhat, as he pondered. Minato sighed, as he still wasn't sure what to do in regards to telling the others regarding them forgetting, depending on what ends up happening in the future. He then heard a knock onto his door. The blue haired teen, slowly got up, as he walked toward the door and opened it. He saw Dark Pit and Minato noted that Dark Pit seemed to be looking a bit down, but not too down.

"Hey Minato. You free to talk, at the moment?" Dark Pit asked. Minato nodded back, as Dark Pit walked into the room, and sat on a chair. "Thanks. So it's been a bit since we last spoke and some things have happened since then. Things I want to tell you,"

"Go on. I'm all ears," Minato said calmly, as Dark Pit nodded back. Dark Pit took a deep breath, and sighed, as he planned to tell Minato what he had in mind.

"So after I talked with you and Fuuka that day, I ended up meeting with Pit and he ended up helping me do out as well. Long story short, I eventually ended up telling Lucina how I felt about her recently," Dark Pit explained.

"How did it go?" Minato asked. Dark Pit took another deep breath, as he was trying his best at the moment to remain as calm as possible.

"She's already with someone from her world," Dark Pit stated. Dark Pit sighed once more but he slowly formed a small smile on his face. "It is what it is. I've come to accept it over these couple of days,"

"I'm glad you're taking it well Dark Pit," Minato said.

"Thanks. Personally, it still kind of stings a bit, but I'll get over it fully over time," Dark Pit replied. "I rather know the truth then just keep wondering if it was ever going to work out. It's not good to bottle in this kind of thing forever I imagine."

"I know what you mean," Minato said, as hearing that from Dark Pit made him consider that he should probably tell the others soon, regarding the information he was withholding.

"Yeah… I mean… it's either torment myself with not knowing if I ever get with her, or finding out it wasn't meant to be and all," Dark Pit added. "Anyway… like I said, I'll get over it. In time. I figure I should let you know. Thanks to you and Fuuka that day for listening to me that other day. I still appreciate it. Anyway I'm going to head off. I have a match against Bayonetta soon, so I got to prepare for that."

"Good luck against Bayonetta. She's a pretty tough fighter from the matches I have seen with her in it," Minato said. "See you later,"

"Thanks. Well see you. Also a heads up, all the fighters tomorrow are going to head back to our home worlds to celebrate with our family and friends and all," Dark Pit said. "Just figure I should let you know about that. Anyway I better go have my match now,"

Dark Pit then nodded back with a confident smirk as he soon left the room. Minato sighed once more as he mulled over the conversation he just had with Dark Pit.

"I have to do it. Tomorrow night, I'll tell the others about us losing our memories," Minato said to himself quietly. The longer he didn't tell them, the worse it probably be by the time they did eventually found out. Minato then looked at a mirror nearby of himself and had a serious expression. "I have to do it,"

While that was happening, Fuuka was in her room, calmly having a cup of green tea, as she was currently wearing a casual teal shirt, and casual teal pajamas as she was in her room, quietly enjoying the quiet moment as she was sitting on her bed. She herself soon heard a knock upon her door. She opened the door to see Pit with a big cheeky smile along with Isabelle, as he held a bag of freshly made hot sweet donuts with him.

"Hey Fuuka! Got some sweet donuts and free time at the moment! I could use someone with a sweet tooth to help me down them!" Pit said excitedly, while Isabelle waved to the teal haired girl as Fuuka smiled happily to see the two. Fuuka called for room service to order for more tea, as she and the three began to discuss and enjoy themselves in the room.

"I can't wait! Thanksgiving is tomorrow! Can't wait to head back home with Pittoo and Lady Palutena for a nice day!" Pit exclaimed happily.

"Yeah! It'll be very fun!" Isabelle said happily. "I'm going back home with Mr. Mayor tomorrow to help him setup for the holiday. We're having a festival in our town for it,"

"Have fun Isabelle," Fuuka said warmly, as the other girl smiled back in response. "Have fun as well Pit,"

"Thanks. What about you Fuuka? How are you celebrating Thanksgiving?" Pit asked.

"Just going to celebrate it with the others here and go to a nice restaurant." Fuuka replied back.

"Be careful. I hear the city is more at unease after what happened at a factory, earlier in this month," Isabelle said.

"You mean the incident at the factory producing Amiibos?" Fuuka asked as Isabelle nodded back to her. Pit began to sweat from his face, as he couldn't help but feel nervous to hear them talking about that. He was so thankful, that he and Dark Pit had yet to be caught for that incident that happened.

"That reminds me!" Pit said, as he desperately wanted to change the subject. "It's almost Black Friday as well. After Thanksgiving dinner back home, I'm going to head back here and go for Black Friday. Going to do any crazy shopping sprees Fuuka?"

"Nope. It's not for me," Fuuka said. "But good luck when you do it. Have fun and be safe,"

"Maybe. If I do go for it, at the very least it'll be fun for the novelty even if I don't manage to buy anything during it and all," Pit replied back.

"That sounds interesting Pit," Isabelle said, as she imagined a scenario of herself and the mayor of the town she worked as a secretary at, being filled with frenzied shoppers at a certain raccoon's store. "Like Fuuka said, have fun and be safe. It can be dangerous."

"Well I'm not afraid. Always got to move forward and live life to the fullest. No regrets and all," Pit said with a big cheeky smile and grin. "Even if that means possibly dealing with possible being trampled down to a flattened pancake by shoppers,"

"Live life to the fullest… no regrets" Fuuka said as the words resonated with her. This concept was one she and her fellow members of SEES were very familiar with, from their previous adventures. "Very meaningful words Pit,"

"You think so?" Pit said as he rubbed his brown hair with his right hand, as he had a bashful smile from hearing that while Fuuka nodded back to him. "Well definitely. We always got to move on, dealing with the good, bad, and everything in between. I should know. I've dealt with a ton of crazy stuff back home and here,"

Soon the conversation eventually ended as both Pit and Isabelle parted ways with Fuuka. It was now November 26th and now Thanksgiving, as it was currently evening. Both SEES and the Investigation Team, along with Elizabeth, Theodore, and Marie were currently seated inside the restaurant that Kanji suggested, and had a whole private room to themselves. They had already ordered a big grand meal, as they awaited a big festive turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, macaroni and cheese, roasted ham, stuffing, and so on. The two teams were currently conversing with each other various things as everyone was in a joyous mood. Well everyone but Minato who put on a smile, but was really still lost in thought, as he felt unsure when to speak of such a thing.

"Minato… are you okay? You… look lost in thought again…" Fuuka whispered concerned to him as she sat next to him, as she noticed that her lover had been looking more and more like this as of late. She remembered that Minato had things on his mind that he felt wasn't ready to talk about certain things. Minato hearing this, was shaken out of his thoughts as he placed his hands on his face and rubbed his eyes, as if he needed to reinvigorate himself.

"I… I need to say something to everyone here at our table," Minato whispered back. He looked in front of him and saw an empty glass cup, and a metal spoon. He grabbed both and gently and slowly, but noticeably used the spoon to tap against the glass cup, to cause a small noise to ring out. This caused everyone else on the table to stop what they were doing, and look at the blue haired teenager. He placed the glass cup and spoon down, as they looked at him curiously.

"What is it Minato? You got something to say buddy?" Junpei asked. Minato simply nodded back to Junpei. "Alright then, go ahead with whatever you got to say,"

Minato took a deep breath and sighed, as he looked at every SEES and Investigation Team member by their faces, one by one, as they all looked towards him. He then decided to speak.

"I found out some new information that I have to tell you all," Minato said as he slowly spoke these words. "Before I tell you all, I just want to let you all know… that this information I'm going to tell you all is something you should probably brace yourselves for, as it's not something you guys might not take in easily,"

"Whatever it is my guest, we will be here to receive the words that you speak, regardless of what the meanings they hold," Elizabeth said, to reassure Minato. Minato slowly nodded as he took a deep breath once more and sighed as he braced himself mentally as well, for what he was about to say to everyone else.

"If I defeat The Master in my match with him next month… and I choose to make everything as it was before we all got involved with this world… we will all forget our memories of our time here and everything we know of this world in general," Minato said. Yosuke who was drinking a glass cup filled with cola, just ended up spitting soda out of his mouth, as he choked and gasped for a bit when he heard that.

"We're going to forget everything we know from this world if that happens!?" Yosuke shouted out surprised, as he was still hacking on the cola he just drank. "Really!?"

"Yes… really," Minato answered back calmly, as Yosuke just sighed from what he heard. Mixed reactions were had from everyone else. Some looked confused, some looked disappointed, and some looked frustrated, and some looked unsure of how to feel.

"But why aren't we allowed to remember?" Chie asked as she felt this was pretty disappointing to hear.

"The Master said that he doesn't want anyone from particular worlds knowing about his competition, if no one from those worlds are involved in it." Minato answered. Everyone remained silent as they heard this, as they were unsure what to think.

"But… it's not like this is something we tell everyone," Teddie whined.

"Yeah. We don't tell the people we know about stuff like our Personas, or Shadows and stuff," Kanji added. "Also… who believe us about some fighting tournament made up of fighters from different worlds and universes and all that?"

"While I understand that point of view, extraordinary things are looked into regardless of how believable they can be," Mitsuru said. "I'm not saying any of us would willingly, talk about such things to others, but some would rather not leave things up to chance, depending on the situation,"

"Yeah. We Shadow Operatives are proof of that. Investigating reports of Shadow related activity and everything related to that," Akihiko said.

"So you're saying… The Master is just covering his tracks, just to be on the safe side, Mitsuru-sempai, and Akihiko-sempai?" Yukari asked, as both Akihiko and Mitsuru nodded back towards her.

"Well better safe than sorry. Makes sense why he do something like that," Shinjiro added.

"I guess I can see where he's coming from. It makes sense even if it sucks for all of us," Rise whined.

"Forgetting our memories and of our time here…" Naoto said. "We would be forgetting not only our time here in this world but also of the memories of the incident involving the labyrinths,"

"That's right! We only remember the incident involving the labyrinths because of The Master!" Yukiko added. Everyone's faces became even more distraught upon hearing that. That was true.

"This is really lame," Marie whined. "This is like the second time we'll be forgetting stuff, from events like this,"

"It is... what it is," Theodore said calmly slowly, as he and Elizabeth both pondered this information they heard, not sure what to think of what they heard.

"Forgetting memories… we're kind of used to it at this point," Ken spoke sadly, as he recalled the whole incident involving Ryoji as well. "Granted we did remember that one in the end, but we did end up forgetting about the labyrinths incident as well,"

"So we will all forget about our time in this world, and all the memories associated with it," Aigis stated quietly, still taking this in. Koromaru whined as Aigis listened to the dog. "It is indeed a shame,"

"Man this really sucks," Junpei whined as well.

Everyone now just now looked unsure of how to feel, as silence continued to dominate the room. Fuuka looked toward Minato as he seemed to have frustrated frown, as the blue haired boy wondered if this was something he should have said, as the atmosphere had gone differently than originally envisioned for everyone. She felt frustrated to see everyone like this, especially from Minato. So she decided to say something.

"Everyone… please listen," Fuuka said, as everyone else's attention turned towards to the two. "I know what Minato just said isn't the best news. It isn't. It will hurt to forget our time here in this world,"

"It just sucks. We finally remember you guys during the labyrinths incident as well besides our time here in this world though. It just plain sucks this whole deal," Yosuke said with an added sigh.

"I know… I know it does," Fuuka said back quietly. "But… that doesn't mean… we can't move on. After the labyrinths incident… even though we didn't remember each other, it still happened. That won't change. But we'll still all remember each other eventually during the incidents involving the fighting tournaments in our world,"

"But… what about Shinjiro-san and Minato-san?" Teddie said quietly. "We only remember them, because of the labyrinths incident."

"Trust me bear, I rather not remember you," Shinjiro remarked, causing Teddie to comically have steam pop up from his blonde hair and comically pout. "That aside, she's right. Things happen, and we got to press forward. All of us should know and be aware of that considering all the crazy crap we've been through,"

"I know it sucks… but part of life is moving on," Minato said. "Though… I'm glad I kept my promise to Yu. That we meet again,"

"That you did," Yu said with a friendly smile back "They're right guys. It'll sting but… we'll move on."

"It's not like we'll forget about you all. I'm sure Mitsuru sempai could always use more members on the Shadow Operatives if you guys ever want to join anytime," Yukari joked, to help lighten the mood, while Mitsuru could only smile from hearing that.

"I can see our crew getting bigger with eight more people in the future," Akihiko mused out loud.

"It would be a great boon to all of us," Aigis said with a smile with Koromaru barking happily in agreement.

"You guys make great members if you all were to ever join!" Ken complimented.

"Maybe. We all got our own stuff to take care of and all," Kanji said.

"Of course. But even before we all went to this world, I had already had free spots available to your group." Mitsuru answered back.

"I guess we'll just have to accept the current situation for what it currently is," Naoto stated calmly.

"Knowing about it earlier on will help us all brace for when it inevitably happens too better," Yukiko added.

"Yeah. Better earlier then later and all," Chie added.

"We may not remember this world, but that doesn't mean everything that happened within it for us, still didn't happen," Rise said.

'That's right!" Junpei exclaimed. "So let's all just enjoy our time here, like Fuuka said,"

"I wonder if you two are going to remember everything." Marie said as she glanced at Theodore and Elizabeth with a curious expression, as Theodore felt and looked unsure, while Elizabeth just smirked, feeling hopefully confident. Before anyone could say anything more, waiter entered the room, holding many and various dishes for their Thanksgiving dinner.

"I'm thankful we're all here together, able to enjoy this dinner together," Fuuka spoke happily, as they all smiled at what they heard.

"I call dibs on the turkey legs!" Both Teddie and Yosuke yelled out, as they both glared at each other and argued over said turkey legs, while everyone began to just eat and enjoy themselves in general for the feast they were about to enjoy. Minato and Fuuka looked to each other and smiled, glad that everyone was in better spirits compared to before. They then joined in, as they began to enjoy the Thanksgiving dinner as well.

* * *

Meanwhile we see another location. A huge factory (and not an Amiibo making one) was seen in an unknown location somewhere in the skirts of the city. An office could be seen where one head scientists could be seen inside of it, complete with wearing a white lab coat and other lab related attire on his being. The head scientist was currently seated behind a large wooden office desk, and was currently on a break, as he was reading a comic book. The door to the office opened, as one familiar chairmen was seen entering it, causing the head scientist to quickly hide the comic and stand up from his seat.

"How do you do Mr. Crimson?" one scientist in particular said, as he quickly bowed towards the chairman to show respect. "What brings you here today sir? Today is Thanksgiving day after all,"

"Same reason I could say you're here. You chose to do so for the extra pay. But never mind that. How is development going on that new project we all assigned you, earlier this month going?" Crimson asked seriously. Since the incident at the Amiibo factory earlier this month, the eight chairmen had decided to put forth production on something they wanted to test for future purposes. The incident at the Amiibo factory, being the biggest pushing point for doing this.

"It's been going well. No issues during development so far," the head scientist answered back.

"Good. Now I want you to get me a current file on it. I just want to take a look at what has been done so far." Crimson requested.

"Yes sir," the scientist said, as he left the office. He soon returned holding a file, and the way he was holding the file obscured what it was named. He handed the file to Crimson, who calmly opened it, and went through the various documents in it, as he was generally liking what he was seeing and reading so far, about the project.

"I am pleased with the development so far of this project." Crimson praised. "Now when will the final version be ready?"

"When? I should say… sometime in early December if I had to say at the moment," the head scientist answered back.

"When?" Crimson questioned seriously. "When in early December are we talking about?"

"If I had to answer…" the head scientist said back nervously, "I would say within sometime during the first week of December,"

"Very well. I'm glad to hear that development is progressing smoothly. I wish to have the final result tested out," Crimson.

"Tested out?" the head scientist said.

"Not in a public location of course for many reasons. I and my eight brothers plan to test it out in one of the many large training rooms we have." Crimson explained.

"This project is a very potentially… dangerous thing if misused properly. Being AI based and all. We have to make sure everything is bug tested thoroughly," the head scientist explained.

"See to it, whatever needs to be done, gets done," Crimson said. "I will be taking my leave as I was only here to check up on the status of this current project,"

The head scientist nodded back in response. Crimson walked out of the office, closed the door, and the head scientist went back to sitting on the chair in the office. He placed the file onto the wooden desk in front of him. The label on the file could now be seen.

It was labeled the following on the folder. Project Galleom.

* * *

**To Be Continued…**

**And with that November has come to a close, as we approach even closer to the end. Note as always.**

**1\. So for those who are aware what Galleom is from Super Smash Bros Brawl, let's just say it's my way of referencing the Subspace Emissary even more, as we will see more directly in a future chapter. Galleom being one of the original bosses created for that mode, that was a part of the Subspace Emissary. Galleom is also fought twice in the story mode, and is part of Brawl's Boss Battles mode as well. Also it will not entirely be the same in terms of origin/details of course when we get to that chapter involving it, but that's part of the fact that this story does not have Subspace Emissary as part of it's canon. As said in the past, the Subspace Emissary in terms of the canon of this plot is not canon, and will not be canon.**

**2\. We are now approaching the end of the story as we now enter December properly. I can't say for sure the exact number of chapters are left, but multiple chapters for sure. Just kind of a heads up, as like any story, this one must come to an end at some point as well.**

**3\. Just something to note, Elizabeth during the P3 side of Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth has a vague memory of the incident as shown within that game. Marie said that, to help reference that.**

**4\. Amiibos are indeed at USA RSVP priced at $13 normally, at least at the time of this chapter being posted. Some Smash Amiibos are bundled together though (Duck Hunt, Rob, Mr. Game and Watch) and are priced differently, though not in this story. Oh Yosuke.**

**That's about it in terms of notes for now. I hope you are all enjoying this story so far. If you got anything to say, point out, criticize, etc, don't be afraid to do so. Otherwise I hope you are all enjoyed this chapter and the story so far, and I till next time!**


	48. Testing Trouble

**We are now at Chapter 48! And yes, Yosuke and Teddie can be quite the handful sometimes, but it was nice to have them all hanging out together like that. This chapter will have a recommended music track. Thanks to everyone who has been reading my story so far as usual and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

It was now December 1st in the morning, as it was the final month of the current year of 2015. The weather had become even colder, as it was now snowing lightly outside. Many people who were outside, out and about in the city of New York had begun to wear heavy clothing, as to not feel like someone trapped in a freezer. People outside were walking about as snow lightly fell, and the skies were full of calm gray clouds, that dropped snow downwards.

We see a certain gray haired Persona user by the name of Yu Narukami, walking in winter attire (that consisted of a heavy gray jacket, black gloves, and a gray scarf) within the streets of the city, as he was heading over to Smash Tower. He also carried a golf bag on himself, to carry the golf club the other Investigation Team members got for him, to use as his weapon. The reason he was heading over there was that he had done enough training for himself and felt it was time he help Minato out. Helping him out by facing him at battle today and helping the other Wild Card Persona user ready for his fight against The Master later in the month. He went alone, as Minato would not be having any support at all in his battle against The Master. It was strictly a one on one match, and without even any vocal support as well, so both weren't going to have any navigational support. Yu had called Minato the prior day, to let him know he was ready to face off against him, to help train him.

While that was happening, we now see Bowser in his personal room as the Koopa King was calmly drinking a big mug of coffee he had filled with both cream and sugar. Being that it was now December 1st his ban on not being able to participate in Smash Bros battles for the rest of November was now over, since he caused some mischief and all. Since then he had spent time coming up with more evil schemes he would consider testing out in his home world. But at the moment he was preoccupied with other thoughts.

"Now that I'm off my ban… I feel like thrashing someone!" Bowser spoke out loud to himself. "Though I really wonder if Blue Mint is worth my time now?"

The Koopa King had become more indecisive how he felt about Minato since he and Fuuka had seen him during the month of November as he paced about his room. Since then he had spoken with Junior and had found out that "Blue Mint," and his friends had interacted with Junior for a while. His opinion of Minato and his friends had improved compared to before. Still… he still didn't like the thought of the blue haired teen possibly joining the competition (though if he really knew Minato's true intentions, this probably wouldn't be happening at the moment), and was keen on doing what he could to make sure that Minato be turned off from joining. Needless to say he wanted to put his aggression towards Minato out of the way. Whether it be venting any remaining frustration he held towards him or deciding to play nice with him. He stopped pacing as he looked at a mirror in his room and went into a thinking position.

"I mean… I may hate Mario but I'm willing to go kart racing and play sports with him sometimes back home. Maybe I can treat Blue Mint a bit nicer if I can be friendly with that red plumber of all people… decisions, decisions," Bowser grumbled to himself still in deliberation. "Hmmm… what do I do in this kind of situation?"

Bowser went into a thinking position as he was at a loss. He then had an idea pop up in his hands, as he took out a quarter.

"Guess I can leave it up to chance. Heads I'll go after Blue Mint and challenge that chump for a pounding! Tails I'll go find the guy to be nicer to him! Either way… I get to see that punk and get this over with," Bowser remarked.

"Alright… let's see what happens!" Bowser shouted to himself as he held the quarter and decided to flip it into the air. It slowly hit the ground as it bounced up and down as Bowser eyed it. It soon ultimately stopped moving as Bowser stood over the quarter and looked at what he got. What he got from the coin toss was…

We now switch over to seeing Minato and Fuuka standing near the Smash Tower entrance indoors as they waited for Yu. They were both holding a cup of hot green tea, as they waited and sipped it quietly as they looked out the glass doors that had snow slowly falling outside.

"It's the last month of 2015," Minato said out loud quietly. Fuuka nodded, as she took a sip from her green tea.

"December 30th is when you face off against The Master" Fuuka said quietly. Minato nodded back to her as they both sighed. They both felt tension build within themselves as they know this was essentially the final stretch. They still didn't even know what The Master looked like as well. Before they could dwell on the thought any longer, they both saw a familiar person finally enter the building.

"Nice to see you two," Yu said with a friendly smile, as he walked up to both and gave them a friendly handshake. "Ready to train Minato?"

"Definitely," Minato said back with a smirk. "I'm sure you're going to be a tough opponent."

"I've had my fair share of tough battles won under my belt," Yu boasted a bit, as Minato just grinned from hearing that. "Defeating powerful Shadows, went through five labyrinths, taking down a murderer in a small countryside town and a deity that tried to cover the world in fog, and been in two fighting tournaments. I'll definitely give you a tough time,"

"Before we train, would you like to drop off your outer layer of clothing in my room?" Minato asked. "Probably be hot and sweaty to fight in that thing,"

"Of course. Lead the way," Yu said, as both Minato and Fuuka nodded, as they walked with Yu following them. Meanwhile we now switch locations to a very large room. In it was finally the completed project that Smash Corp had started working on, earlier in November this year, as various scientists and the eight chairmen could all be seen looking at it.

"So Project Galleom is at last complete. Or should I say… Galleom?" Crimson the red chairman said with a smug smile. Galleom was a huge robot that would easily tower over every fighter in the current Smash Bros tournament. A giant that was comparable in size to when Bowser used a Smash Ball to transform into his Giga Bowser form. It had a metallic steel colored chest, metallic arm braces over bulky forearms, steel feet (that were also jet propelled) with joints that had blue circular parts on them, a iron mask like face where only it's red eyes could be seen, and a spiked metal helmet mounted on its head, two rocket launcher on the back of its chest as it stood in a simian like stance, as its huge metal purple colored hand laid against the ground. Needless to say, Galleom looked extreme intimidating as the robot was currently inactive and not moving.

The robot was made to be a defender of certain key areas for Smash Corp, or any other purposes if needed be. While they appreciated the employees they hired under the Mii security company, they felt they needed more just in case. This robot was seen as huge potential for serving the purposes of Smash Corp if needed be.

"Galleom… quite the machine it is," Azure the blue chairman praised as he was impressed by what he saw.

"Oh man! This thing looks so ridiculously awesome!" Golden the yellow chairman praised.

"Heh. Looks like it be fun to sic on anyone who gets on our bad side," Sunset the orange chairman added.

"Tch. Don't start suggesting stupid stuff like that," Jade the green chairman chided.

"I don't know… I'm still kind of ticked about that time we got food poisoning last month," Sky lazily yawned out.

"Mr. Arisato and Ms. Yamagishi… I know those two were behind what happened in the Gourmet 64 last month to us!" Fuchsia snapped angrily.

"They should be punished," Ash the gray chairman stated bluntly.

"Enough. Calm down all of you," Azure calmly stated. "We are not here to think of the past but to see this machine in action,"

"Indeed." Crimson simply stated. Though internally he was still pretty angry over that incident that occurred to him last month. At the moment he tried to keep his cool though as he had other pressing matters he wanted out of the way. Though personally he wouldn't have minded taking payback on them if the opportunity were to present itself. "Are we ready to teleport Galleom to the Training Room?"

"Very soon sir. Final checks and preparations are being made," said one of the scientists as Galleom was currently atop an extremely large circular platform. A huge monitor nearby depicted the Training Room, which was a huge white square room. It was extremely large, clean, and had Sandbag in the middle of it. It was an area that fighters could train in peace and solitude, and for testing out whatever techniques in peace if they wanted too. Most fighters commonly liked to test out variations of some of their moves in this area as of the most recent tournament.

"Good. Soon we'll have Galleom teleported to that room, and to have him display his combatant skills and test him out in action," Crimson answered back, eager for the results. Switching scenes, we now see Minato, Fuuka, and Yu leaving Minato's room as he left his winter outerwear there and was now wearing his normal high school uniform from Inaba High. The three had just left as they decided to take the stairs to where they planned to go. Just as they let the floor, one certain elevator chad just arrived and stopped, as a certain Koopa King arrived at the floor.

"Hopefully Blue Mint is in his room," Bowser grumbled to himself as he walked over to the door that belonged to Minato. He quietly knocked on the door and waited for a response. He saw that no response was currently had. He rolled his eyes and knocked even harder on the door. He waited a bit and saw that no answer was still the only response he had. Bowser's eyes looked really annoyed now as he decided to full on bang on the door now. Yet he still had no response.

"This stinking door!" Bowser shouted out, as he decided to reel back his right arm, as he thought about slamming a punch into the door. He was about to punch the door, till he suddenly realized that he probably get in trouble for that. Taking deep breaths, Bowser reluctantly put away his punching arm, as he calmed down. "Gah! I hope this isn't me chasing after a needle in a haystack today! That needle being Blue Mint! Maybe he's in the room that belongs to his girlfriend on this floor?"

Bowser went to the door that was in front of Fuuka's room and just went straight to banging on it, eager to hear a quick response. Just like Minato's room, no response was had. Bowser just grunted from frustration.

"Tch. Maybe one of them other teenager twerps are still around, and knows where Blue Mint is," Bowser remarked. He picked one of the doors at random as he banged on it. It slowly opened as Junpei opened it yawning, as his eyes were closed as he slowly started to open them.

"Man I was just taking a nice nap. Who's outside my door… **WHOAAAAAA!**?" Junpei said as he freaked out upon seeing the Koopa King in front of him. Junpei was left speechless as he wasn't sure what to say as his face paled, while Bowser simply rolled his eyes from the reaction he saw. "Errr… what I meant to say was… I'm going to head out to get some breakfast, so bye!"

"Not so fast chump!" Bowser yelled out as he stepped forward and grabbed Junpei with his left hand before Junpei could make a mad dash away. He then raised his right free hand and formed it into a fist and raised it back, as Junpei's face began to sweat. "Tell me where Blue Mint is, before I give you a free knuckle sandwich for your breakfast!"

"Hey you can't do that!" Junpei said in a panic, as he could tell Bowser was not messing around.

"Alright chump. Why can't I sock you?" Bowser said with an annoyed face, as he bared his sharp teeth towards Junpei, growing more impatient, while Junpei gulped from seeing that.

"Because… because…because!?" Junpei muttered out, as he was growing more fearful. He then suddenly thought of something he hoped would convince the Koopa King to not slam a punch into him. "Because if you hurt me, I'll report you to The Master! Yeah that's it! I'll report you!"

"**GRRRRR!**" Bowser snarled out, as he had to admit that was a decent point. He had just gotten off his punishment. If he broke the rules so soon again, there was a decent chance, he just be punished with a similar or worse punishment, from the one he had for November. Bowser simply threw Junpei towards his bed, as the teenager was thankful he landed on something soft and Junpei just sighed with relief as he wiped sweat off his face. Bowser then slammed the door to Junpei's room, as the Koopa King was now back in the hallway while Junpei was thankful that was over with. Bowser eyed the other doors in the hallway and decided to see if any of Minato's other close companions would tell him, where the blue haired teen was.

"That guy needs to take a chill pill," Junpei whispered to himself, thankful as heck he did not get punched by Bowser at all.

We see Minato, Fuuka, and Yu in the teleportation room. Minato had made it, so he and Yu would be taken to the Training Room, for them both to have their face off against each other. The monitor nearby in the room displayed the area, where Sandbag was stationary in the middle. Yu and Minato both checked their beings as they made sure, they both had their Evokers on them and

"No holding back, you hear me?" Minato said, while Yu just smirked back at him.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Yu said back as they both stepped onto a panel.

"Good luck Minato. Also best wishes to you as well Yu," Fuuka said calmly as they both nodded towards her. "I'm going to head back to my room to get something. I'll be back later after I get it. Be well you two,"

Fuuka began to walk away as she was soon out of the room while Yu and Minato were soon transported to the so called Training Room. They decided for them both to be at opposite opposing ends of the room, using Sandbag as a marker for the center of the room, to make it fair for one another, as Yu walked over to the other side of Sandbag, and stood an equal distance away from it, like Minato. However this was probably the worst time they could have picked, as now switch back the factory where Galleom, the eight chairmen, and the scientists were.

"Isn't that… Mr. Arisato in that room right now?" Golden the yellow wearing chairman pointed out.

"Along with the leader of the Investigation Team, Yu Narukami," Ash the gray wearing chairman stated bluntly.

"What… what are they doing there?" Jade the green wearing chairman said both puzzled and annoyed by what he was seeing.

"Awww. Just when we were going to test Galleom. That's no fun," Sunset the orange wearing chairman whined. "Seriously, we can't send Galleom in there right now,"

"Darn… I got out of bed early for nothing," Sky the cyan chairman yawned out.

"Hmph! I say we test out Galleom on those two regardless! What better way to see it in action, when used against actual opposition?" Fuchsia the purple chairman suggested.

"No. We're not doing anything of that sort. Isn't that right Crimson?" Azure the blue chairman calmly stated. Crimson however looked deep in thought as he considered what he heard from everything else. He then decided to say his thoughts on the situation.

"Deploy Galleom for testing in the Training Room and have it activated once there. Now!" Crimson stated to the scientists in the room. Some of his brothers were pleased by what they heard, some disapproved of what they heard, and some looked unsure of what to think. The scientists all looked at each other, unsure if they should obey this order or not. "If none of you will do it, I'll do it myself!"

_*** Boss Battle 1 (Super Smash Bros Brawl) ***_

Crimson walked nearby to a control panel nearby and pulled down a lever that would start up the large teleportation device setup in the room, to teleport Galleom to other locations. The machine was now activated, causing energy to soon build up. Crimson in the meantime, grabbed an activation remote, out of one of the scientist's hands and activated Galleom as well. Soon a large flash of light blinded the room, as the large robot was gone. Everyone in the room then turned to face the large monitor that depicted the Training Room.

Minato drew out his sword, while Yu took out his golf club, as they were ready to soon fight, both with their own weapons and Personas. Before anyone could do anything, a large white light began to flash in the room, way above Sandbag. Both looked very confused, as they were both sure that was something that wasn't supposed to happen. Soon the huge robot Galleom just landed right behind Sandbag, as the sentient bag of sand looked at Galleom with nervous eyes. The huge robot using a powerful uppercut, sent Sandbag flying high towards the ceiling of the room, and was hit so hard, the bag of sand went comically blasting through the hard reinforced ceiling as it made a hole as it went flying out of the room.

"What… what is that thing!?" Yu said very concerned.

"I don't know!" Minato shouted out. "But it looks like we're going to have to work together against it!"

Galleom saw Minato in front of him and decided to try stomping the teen as he leaped towards him. Minato immediately dodge rolled forward, as the huge robot almost stomped on him, and he regrouped with Yu. The robot turned around as both Minato and Yu immediately decided to use their Evokers on themselves.

"Orpheus/Izanagi!" Both Minato and Yu yelled out respectively as the sounds of two gunshots rang out, from the use of their Evokers. "Agidyne/Ziodyne!"

Both Minato and Yu's main Personas appeared, as Orpheus strummed up a blast of fire an Izanagi slammed his spear like weapon on the ground, summoning a blast of electricity, as both projectiles were sent towards Galleom. The robot just took it, as if it were nothing as it barely reacted in response.

"Damn. That thing is more resilient then a Wealth Hand Shadow," Minato remarked, as Galleom set its rocket launchers aimed towards them.

"Get ready!" Yu shouted out, as Galleom fired four missiles towards them. Two towards Minato and two towards Yu. "Suparna! Magarudyne all those missiles!"

Yu used his Evoker as he summoned a large green and yellowish feathered mystical bird, that had purple feathers around its neck, head, and ankles and wore a silver headpiece with a red jewel within it. The large bird summoned a huge blast of wind as it diverted the missiles towards the sides of the room, causing explosions away from them. Galleom seeing this made its arms and legs retract into its being as it went into a tank like mode and form. The sound of engines roaring could be heard as it stayed in place. Before Yu and Minato could do anything, it charged forward with amazing speed, slamming them both against the wall, as both grunted in pain. It soon transformed back into its normal forms. Seeing Yu on the ground to the right of its front, it's raised its right leg, ready to step on Yu, till Minato intervened.

"King Frost! Bufula Galleon's right leg immediately!" Minato ordered as he used his Evoker. A big Jack Frost like Persona appeared, as it wore a metal dulled out gold suit around its body that had black skull symbols and a lock on it. It sent out a blast of ice that froze Galleom's right leg in the air. The huge robot lost balance, as it fell on its back, as Minato got up and helped Yu up.

"Thanks. That was a close one," Yu said in return. "Let me return the favor. Undine! Use a Mediarama on myself and Minato!"

Yu summoned a female blue water spirit, as it used the healing spell as both Wild Cards began to feel rejuvenated. Galleom was still on the ground as it struggled to get the ice that was attached to its right foot off.

"Now for me to give that robot some payback! Ippon-Datara use an Agilao!" Yu shouted out. A man wearing a black blacksmith like apron, wore a bronze metal mask that had a 4 symbol on it, with the mask having somewhat of a see-through hole for its left side of its eye. It wielded a large hammer and tong, tools that a blacksmith would use. It slammed both its tool together to summon a blast of fire towards the robot. Galleom was covered head to toe in fire, as the ice melted away and as it took more damage. The robot finally managed to pull itself up and leaped away from them, as it went into its tank mode again, intending to ram into them once more.

"It's charging up so it can ram us again," Yu stated. "Not good,"

"Hopefully this does the trick. Kali! High Counter now!" Minato immediately yelled out, as he used his Evoker. He summoned a red skinned human like being with six arms that each wielded a scimitar. Galleom charged forward intending, to ram into the two but the deity like being using its six arms raised out to grab the robot. It had a low chance of working, but he had to do something before that machine rammed into them again. Kali grabbed the robot with its immense strength as now a stalemate between pushing between both the powerful robot and the powerful deity. With surprising strength, Kali managed to force a push back, as Galleom in its tank form slammed back from the area it charged from.

"Nice job Minato," Yu praised. "You got a Persona for every situation,"

"I can say the same for you," Minato replied back. "Makes me wish you and the rest of your team were around back to help us for Tartarus. Anyway, let's finish this thing off before it does that to us,"

Galleom transformed back from its tank form to its robot form as both Minato and Yu took out their Evokers and used them once more.

"Legion/Berith!" Both Minato and Yu yelled out respectively as their Evokers were used. The Persona that Minato summoned was a mass of circular flesh made up of faces, while the one that Yu summoned was a knight riding a horse holding a lance. "Assault Dive/Single Shot!"

The Legion rose into the air as it moved towards Galleom, while Berith charged forward holding its lance. As both were closed, and as Legion was going to dive into Galleom with a ram, and as Berith threw its lance towards Galleom, the robot leaped over the attacks the two Persona summoned did, and was now closer to the center of the room. It then stomped its ways towards both Persona users, as both Minato and Yu stood right in front of it. It clasped both its fists, then raised them over the air towards Yu. Yu immediately dodged forward as Galleom slammed its hands down, almost hitting Yu with a powerful attack. Both Yu and Minato were to Galleom's left and right side at the moment. Galleom seeing this, quickly spun its arms around in a spin attack, as the robot sent both Persona users knocked away from him, and then looked towards Minato who was closer to him. Once again, Galleom attempted to step on someone as Galleom raised its right foot, this time towards Minato himself. Yu wasn't going to be having that as he quickly took out his Evoker.

"Kingu! Vicious Strike that robot's right foot right now!" Yu shouted as he summoned a red snake like being with a yellow skinned human like figure with angel wings on the front. Obeying Yu's orders, Kingu quickly flew as its serpentine body slammed into Galleom's foot and knocked the huge robot, causing it to fall onto its back once more. Yu rushed over to Minato as he helped him up.

"It's my turn to return the favor. Titania, Mediarama Yu and myself!" Minato ordered as he summoned the fairy queen like being who wore a green dress, had blonde hair, and had insect like wings. Minato's Persona used its own healing spell on them both, as they felt rejuvenated. Galleom on the meantime managed to get back standing up normally, as it had no ice encasing its right leg this time. It gave the two an even more intense glare (as it somehow managed that as its face was already designed to look as if it were in a permanent scowl) as both Yu and Minato stood their grounds.

"We're not giving up!" Yu proclaimed, as the robot used its fists to beat on its chest while he said that. Minato simply nodded as they both held out their melee weapons, as they continued to stand their ground. While all this was happening, all the scientists watching this were taking down various notes, while the eight chairmen watched with curiosity from their factory location.

"Well well well… Mr. Arisato and Mr. Narukami can put up quite the fight," Crimson mused out loud, in a confident arrogant tone, with a big smirk while the rest of his brothers looked at him with mixed reactions. "But can they keep it up? Galleom is still active and ready to fight till it no longer can. I wonder if those two can keep up with that beast of a robot,"

* * *

We now see Bowser back in the hallway belonging to the SEES members as his face was red and steam was coming off his head, and he began to snort smoke from his nostrils. After he tried to find out information from Junpei, he had tried to find Minato's location, from the other SEES members who were in their rooms. Needless to say, none of them would say, despite his efforts.

"**GAH!** Stinking teenager twerps!" Bowser whined out loud to himself. "None of them told me where Blue Mint is at the moment!"

Just as Bowser has finished speaking those words, Bowser heard elevator doors open up. He looked towards the directions of the elevator and saw someone he didn't expect. Same for the person who saw Bowser as she was surprised as well.

"Mr. Bowser? What are you doing here?" Fuuka asked curious and a bit nervous.

"Hey you! Blue Mints girlfriend…umm… Teal Mint!" Bowser said as he came up with a nickname for Fuuka on the spot, while Fuuka felt awkward hearing that, unsure of how to react to that nickname she was just given. "Where's Blue Mint at the moment?"

"Why should I tell you where he is?" Fuuka asked, concerned and skeptical of the Koopa King, wondering if he had some evil scheme for Minato at the moment.

"I got to talk to Blue Mint about something important," Bowser said calmly, realizing he had to handle this situation more delicately. "If you're worried if I got some evil plan or something up for Blue Mint… well I can't blame you Teal Mint. I wouldn't trust someone evil like me. But the point is… I really need to speak to him!"

"What do you need to speak to him about?" Fuuka asked concerned still. Bowser looked away feeling awkward, as he wasn't sure if he should tell Fuuka about what he wanted to do with Minato. He then decided if he was going to find Minato today, he had to speak up about it.

"Fine, but you better keep this a secret Teal Mint, you hear me?" Bowser whined, as Fuuka nodded back to the Koopa King. "Good. I… I just wanted to talk to Blue Mint about… settling things. That's all,"

"Settling things? Do you mean… you want to say sorry for the times you were mean to him and his friends?" Fuuka asked. Bowser quickly looked around the hallway, just to make sure himself and Fuuka were the only people in the hallway. After doing a quick look around and making sure that he and she were the only people in the hallway at the moment, Bowser reluctantly slowly nodded back to Fuuka, really not wanting to admit such a thing. "Mr. Bowser… I think he really appreciate that. Thank you,"

"Yeah yeah." Bowser said trying to keep his tough guy act going. "Just take me to Blue Mint will you?"

"Of course. I just have to grab something from my room, so I'll be right back," Fuuka said, as Bowser nodded back. Fuuka walked into her room in the hallway, and soon came back out holding what appeared to be a picnic basket, causing Bowser to have a curious expression on his face, as he wondered what was in the picnic basket. "Alright, let's go use the elevator on this floor, and go where Minato is,"

"Say Teal Mint… what's in the picnic basket? You planning to get a red hood and go become Red Riding Hood or something?" Bowser asked, as they both walked to the elevator on the floor and got on, as Fuuka pushed for the floor the teleportation room was on.

"Nothing like that. Just baked some cookies for Minato and a friend of his who came by today. Wanted to share with them," Fuuka explained. "Would you like a cookie Mr. Bowser? I wouldn't mind sharing with you,"

"Yes… I mean… maybe," Bowser said awkwardly as he still tried to come off as a tough guy, though his inner self was craving for some sweet treats at the moment. "Nah. I got to keep my sharp teeth in perfect condition. Don't want to get a toothache or something,"

"Alright, but if you change your mind you're free to do so. Mr. Bowser," Fuuka responded kindly. "Your youngest son enjoy them a lot. I'm sure you like them,"

"That's… good to hear," Bowser said, feeling more relaxed compared to before. "Junior likes you teenagers doesn't he?"

"Yes. Though when we all first met him, we all weren't on the best terms admittedly, but over time we've all developed a good relationship with him." Fuuka explained as Bowser smiled from hearing that. Soon they arrived at the floor that held the teleportation area. "We should be seeing Minato soon,"

Both Bowser and Fuuka got off the elevator as they were now in the hallway that led to the room that held the teleportation devices that let the fighters in the Smash Bros tournaments be teleported to whatever arenas they wish to fight or train in. As soon as they entered the room, both saw a surprising sight on a large monitor nearby.

"**MINATO! YU!**" Fuuka screamed in fear, as she saw them both fighting that giant robot that was Galleom and felt extremely concerned by what she saw. Minato and Yu were both heavily breathing and had bruises on them, by this point in their battle. Fuuka immediately looked towards Bowser, as she had one of her very rare moments where she felt and shown anger towards another, which definitely surprised Bowser, as he was pretty sure she was the nicest and calmest of all the so called teenager twerps. Fuuka couldn't help her anger, as Bowser had been such a huge pain in the past, and for him to possibly be the one who the current bad situation for Yu and her loved one crossed her mind, caused her emotions to just become unstable for the moment. "**DID YOU… DID YOU DO THIS!?**"

"Hey! I have no clue what's going on here Teal Mint! I swear I have no freaking clue what the heck I'm looking at right now!" Bowser answered back to her, in a panic. "I have nothing to do with that huge purple robot that is fighting Blue Mint and his gray haired buddy in that room right now! Koopa's honor! I'm just as confused as you are!"

"Then we have to save them!" Fuuka shouted out afraid, while Bowser just nodded. He couldn't talk to Minato if he was no longer among the living. She looked at the monitor and saw that Minato and Yu were fighting that huge robot in the Training Room… and then she suddenly realized an idea that would hopefully work. "Mr. Bowser! I have an idea!"

"What's your idea then?" Bowser said, as Fuuka quickly went up the Koopa King and told him her idea. After Fuuka had finished explaining her idea, Bowser had a big smarmy grin appear on his face, as his sharp teeth shined. "Smart thinking Teal Mint!"

Bowser immediately ran onto one of the teleportation pads, as he soon teleported himself into the room. Galleom had sustained more damage since then, but it was still raring to fight. Minato and Yu however were still both heavily breathing, and were feeling more physically and mentally exhausted compared to before. This fight against Galleom was starting to take its toll on them. Galleom was about to leap at them, till a certain someone suddenly appeared in the room, causing the robot to be distracted by their presence, while both Minato and Yu were just surprised by who they saw. The chairmen and all the scientists also watching the fight from, were at a loss of words, unsure of what to say.

"Isn't that..." Yu managed to say in surprise, as he couldn't believe who was here now.

"Bowser!?" Minato yelled out. Bowser had a huge cocky grin on his face, as he was now in the room with the two, along with Galleom.

"The one and only! The most awesome dude ever!" Bowser boasted towards the two Wild Card users. "You two teenager chumps forgot that this is the Training Room! And in the Training Room you can practice with items as well! With that said… I want one Smash Ball if this Training Room won't mind!

When Bowser has finished speaking, a Smash Ball object has suddenly appeared in the room, and went towards Bowser. Bowser quickly slammed both his fists into it repeatedly, as Galleom began to aim its rocket launchers towards the Koopa King. Bowser then finished breaking it, as he then glowed an intense aura, as his eyes became yellow.

"Now to show this robot, who's the real giant!" Bowser yelled out with excitement. An intense light covered Bowser, as both Minato and Yu covered their eyes, and an extremely monstrous roar was heard. As soon as the light was gone, both Minato and Yu backed away slowly, as what they saw was extremely intimidating.

Bowser had now transformed into his Giga Bowser form, which was his Final Smash. Bowser's Final Smash had allowed him to transform into this form temporarily. He was the size of a giant comparable to Galleom. He was much bigger, taller, muscular, wore a shell that had become significantly more spiky, now had huge demonic like bull horns on his head, his face became more monstrous. Bowser's whole being had became significantly more intense and bestial compared to before in this form.

Giga Bowser wasted no time as it lunged itself at Galleom, knocking the huge robot down. Giving no time at all for the robot to do anything else, Giga Bowser began to savagely claw, smash, and tear apart the machine as if it were nothing more than something meant to be beat to death, as Minato and Yu were at a loss for words. Needless to say, both Wild Cards noted they would never want to be around Bowser, if he had a Smash Ball on his being. Soon Galleom crackled with electricity, as it became defunct, and Giga Bowser ripped off its right metallic arm from the rest of the robot. Giga Bowser then did a monstrous demonic victory roar, as the room echoed with the sounds from the beast, as it took pride in its victory. Thankfully it was over as a blinding white light soon appeared over Giga Bowser, and as soon as it was gone, Bowser was back to his old self now.

Everyone watching from the factory where Galleom was built was silent now. All the scientists who helped create the machine, and the eight chairmen whose expressions on their faces were needless to say, unreadable. It's as if everyone wasn't sure what kind of reaction to have, or if they were even capable of emotion for the current time being. Silence continued to fill the room, till Crimson decided to break it.

"Gentlemen… as of right now… this project is temporarily put on hold. As for myself, I'll be heading back to the office in Smash Tower. That is all," Crimson said calmly as he slowly began to walk away. The scientists all stood silent just not sure what to say, while the rest of the chairmen who felt awkward at the scene, followed their red wearing brother out. It seemed that was the end of that.

"**I RULE!**" Bowser bragged with arrogance, as he raised his fist into the air, as if he had just won a gold medal at the Olympics. Both Minato and Yu cautiously walked towards him, as they decided to say some stuff to him.

"Thank you for saving us," Yu said, as Bowser looked towards them now from hearing that. "Things could have ended really badly, if you didn't show up,"

"Hmph! I just came down here to the training room to get some practice! That's all!" Bowser said as he crossed his arms and closed his eyes.

"Whatever you say Bowser." Minato said with a smile. Suddenly another presence entered the room, as the three turned to look towards it.

"Yu! Minato! Thank goodness you're all safe!" Fuuka said, as she ran towards them as she dropped the picnic basket she was holding earlier onto the ground of the training floor, as she ran right into both and gave them a warm group hug. "I was so worried!"

"We're safe now Fuuka," Minato said with a very gentle smile. Fuuka smiled immensely when she heard that.

"Did Bowser speak to you yet Minato?" Fuuka asked. Minato looked confused, while Bowser looked annoyed from hearing that.

"Speak to me? About what?" Minato replied. The three Persona users in the room turned towards Bowser, as the Koopa King just sighed.

"Blue Mint… we got stuff to talk about. That's all," Bowser said reluctantly. "Why don't we… talk in your room over… cookies? Your girlfriend here, made some for you in that picnic basket over there, and went to go get them earlier,"

"I wanted to share it with you two, after your match was over with each other," Fuuka explained to both Minato and Yu.

"Cookies would sound great after everything that just happened," Yu said. "What was the deal with that robot?"

"Guess we'll have to find out later," Minato answered to Yu. Minato then looked towards Bowser and nodded. "Sure Bowser. Let's have cookies in my room."

Bowser just grinned happily from hearing that while Minato, Yu, and Fuuka smiled as well. While things didn't work out exactly as planned, they were glad it ended well at the moment for all of them.

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

**So that's the end of Chapter 48. How was it? Notes as always.**

**1\. Bowser's Giga Bowser form first appeared in Super Smash Bros Melee. However it wasn't officially usable till Super Smash Bros Brawl when Final Smashes were introduced. Final Smashes were kept in Smash 3DS and Smash Wii U, and Bowser can still transform into Giga Bowser for his Final Smash in those installments as well.**

**2\. Bowser saying "I RULE!" is a reference to when he audibly said it after he deals the finishing blow to the final boss in Mario &amp; Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story.**

**3\. All of the Personas that Minato and Yu summon, are ones they can from Persona 3 and Persona 4 respectively, as well as the attacks they use.**

**4\. All the attacks that Galleom does are true to it's source game (Super Smash Bros Brawl). This version did not have a Subspace Bomb within it, and was not created by the Subspace Army though, to note. **

**5\. Boss Battle 1 plays when you fight Galleom in the Subspace Emissary. It also plays when you fight another boss during the Subspace Emissary (Duon). This track is unlockable for use in Brawl and Smash Wii U.**

**6\. In Smash Bros, the Training Mode lets you practice on any stage, and test out any items. In Smash Bros 3DS &amp; Wii U, they have a room where you can practice on Sandbag for testing out Custom Moves. This was where the Yu, Minato, and Bowser fought Galleom in this chapter. **

**That's it for now. I hope you're all enjoying this story so far. If you wish to say anything, criticize, point out, etc, don't be afraid to do so. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and till next time!**

**We are now at Chapter 48! And yes, Yosuke and Teddie can be quite the handful sometimes, but it was nice to have them all hanging out together like that, in that kind of chapter will have a recommended music track. Thanks to everyone who has been reading my story so far as usual and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Enjoy!**

It was now December 1st in the morning, as it was the final month of the current year of 2015. The weather had become even colder, as it was now snowing lightly outside. Many people who were outside, out and about in the city of New York had begun to wear heavy clothing, as to not feel like someone trapped in a freezer. People outside were walking about as snow lightly fell, and the skies were full of calm gray clouds, that dropped snow downwards.

We see a certain gray haired Persona user by the name of Yu Narukami, walking in winter attire (that consisted of a heavy gray jacket, black gloves, and a gray scarf) within the streets of the city, as he was heading over to Smash Tower. He also carried a golf bag on himself, to carry the golf club the other Investigation Team members got for him, to use as his weapon. The reason he was heading over there was that he had done enough training for himself and felt it was time he help Minato out. Helping him out by facing him at battle today and helping the other Wild Card Persona user ready for his fight against The Master later in the month. He went alone, as Minato would not be having any support at all in his battle against The Master. It was strictly a one on one match, and without even any vocal support as well, so both weren't going to have any navigational support. Yu had called Minato the prior day, to let him know he was ready to face off against him, to help train him.

While that was happening, we now see Bowser in his personal room as the Koopa King was calmly drinking a big mug of coffee he had filled with both cream and sugar. Being that it was now December 1st his ban on not being able to participate in Smash Bros battles for the rest of November was now over, since he caused some mischief and all. Since then he had spent time coming up with more evil schemes he would consider testing out in his home world. But at the moment he was preoccupied with other thoughts.

"Now that I'm off my ban… I feel like thrashing someone!" Bowser spoke out loud to himself. "Though I really wonder if Blue Mint is worth my time now?"

The Koopa King had become more indecisive how he felt about Minato since he and Fuuka had seen him during the month of November as he paced about his room. Since then he had spoken with Junior and had found out that "Blue Mint," and his friends had interacted with Junior for a while. His opinion of Minato and his friends had improved compared to before. Still… he still didn't like the thought of the blue haired teen possibly joining the competition (though if he really knew Minato's true intentions, this probably wouldn't be happening at the moment), and was keen on doing what he could to make sure that Minato be turned off from joining. Needless to say he wanted to put his aggression towards Minato out of the way. Whether it be venting any remaining frustration he held towards him or deciding to play nice with him. He stopped pacing as he looked at a mirror in his room and went into a thinking position.

"I mean… I may hate Mario but I'm willing to go kart racing and play sports with him sometimes back home. Maybe I can treat Blue Mint a bit nicer if I can be friendly with that red plumber of all people… decisions, decisions," Bowser grumbled to himself still in deliberation. "Hmmm… what do I do in this kind of situation?"

Bowser went into a thinking position as he was at a loss. He then had an idea pop up in his hands, as he took out a quarter.

"Guess I can leave it up to chance. Heads I'll go after Blue Mint and challenge that chump for a pounding! Tails I'll go find the guy to be nicer to him! Either way… I get to see that punk and get this over with," Bowser remarked.

"Alright… let's see what happens!" Bowser shouted to himself as he held the quarter and decided to flip it into the air. It slowly hit the ground as it bounced up and down as Bowser eyed it. It soon ultimately stopped moving as Bowser stood over the quarter and looked at what he got. What he got from the coin toss was…

We now switch over to seeing Minato and Fuuka standing near the Smash Tower entrance indoors as they waited for Yu. They were both holding a cup of hot green tea, as they waited and sipped it quietly as they looked out the glass doors that had snow slowly falling outside.

"It's the last month of 2015," Minato said out loud quietly. Fuuka nodded, as she took a sip from her green tea.

"December 30th is when you face off against The Master" Fuuka said quietly. Minato nodded back to her as they both sighed. They both felt tension build within themselves as they know this was essentially the final stretch. They still didn't even know what The Master looked like as well. Before they could dwell on the thought any longer, they both saw a familiar person finally enter the building.

"Nice to see you two," Yu said with a friendly smile, as he walked up to both and gave them a friendly handshake. "Ready to train Minato?"

"Definitely," Minato said back with a smirk. "I'm sure you're going to be a tough opponent."

"I've had my fair share of tough battles won under my belt," Yu boasted a bit, as Minato just grinned from hearing that. "Defeating powerful Shadows, went through five labyrinths, taking down a murderer in a small countryside town and a deity that tried to cover the world in fog, and been in two fighting tournaments. I'll definitely give you a tough time,"

"Before we train, would you like to drop off your outer layer of clothing in my room?" Minato asked. "Probably be hot and sweaty to fight in that thing,"

"Of course. Lead the way," Yu said, as both Minato and Fuuka nodded, as they walked with Yu following them. Meanwhile we now switch locations to a very large room. In it was finally the completed project that Smash Corp had started working on, earlier in November this year, as various scientists and the eight chairmen could all be seen looking at it.

"So Project Galleom is at last complete. Or should I say… Galleom?" Crimson the red chairman said with a smug smile. Galleom was a huge robot that would easily tower over every fighter in the current Smash Bros tournament. A giant that was comparable in size to when Bowser used a Smash Ball to transform into his Giga Bowser form. It had a metallic steel colored chest, metallic arm braces over bulky forearms, steel feet (that were also jet propelled) with joints that had blue circular parts on them, a iron mask like face where only it's red eyes could be seen, and a spiked metal helmet mounted on its head, two rocket launcher on the back of its chest as it stood in a simian like stance, as its huge metal purple colored hand laid against the ground. Needless to say, Galleom looked extreme intimidating as the robot was currently inactive and not moving.

The robot was made to be a defender of certain key areas for Smash Corp, or any other purposes if needed be. While they appreciated the employees they hired under the Mii security company, they felt they needed more just in case. This robot was seen as huge potential for serving the purposes of Smash Corp if needed be.

"Galleom… quite the machine it is," Azure the blue chairman praised as he was impressed by what he saw.

"Oh man! This thing looks so ridiculously awesome!" Golden the yellow chairman praised.

"Heh. Looks like it be fun to sic on anyone who gets on our bad side," Sunset the orange chairman added.

"Tch. Don't start suggesting stupid stuff like that," Jade the green chairman chided.

"I don't know… I'm still kind of ticked about that time we got food poisoning last month," Sky lazily yawned out.

"Mr. Arisato and Ms. Yamagishi… I know those two were behind what happened in the Gourmet 64 last month to us!" Fuchsia snapped angrily.

"They should be punished," Ash the gray chairman stated bluntly.

"Enough. Calm down all of you," Azure calmly stated. "We are not here to think of the past but to see this machine in action,"

"Indeed." Crimson simply stated. Though internally he was still pretty angry over that incident that occurred to him last month. At the moment he tried to keep his cool though as he had other pressing matters he wanted out of the way. Though personally he wouldn't have minded taking payback on them if the opportunity were to present itself. "Are we ready to teleport Galleom to the Training Room?"

"Very soon sir. Final checks and preparations are being made," said one of the scientists as Galleom was currently atop an extremely large circular platform. A huge monitor nearby depicted the Training Room, which was a huge white square room. It was extremely large, clean, and had Sandbag in the middle of it. It was an area that fighters could train in peace and solitude, and for testing out whatever techniques in peace if they wanted too. Most fighters commonly liked to test out variations of some of their moves in this area as of the most recent tournament.

"Good. Soon we'll have Galleom teleported to that room, and to have him display his combatant skills and test him out in action," Crimson answered back, eager for the results. Switching scenes, we now see Minato, Fuuka, and Yu leaving Minato's room as he left his winter outerwear there and was now wearing his normal high school uniform from Inaba High. The three had just left as they decided to take the stairs to where they planned to go. Just as they let the floor, one certain elevator chad just arrived and stopped, as a certain Koopa King arrived at the floor.

"Hopefully Blue Mint is in his room," Bowser grumbled to himself as he walked over to the door that belonged to Minato. He quietly knocked on the door and waited for a response. He saw that no response was currently had. He rolled his eyes and knocked even harder on the door. He waited a bit and saw that no answer was still the only response he had. Bowser's eyes looked really annoyed now as he decided to full on bang on the door now. Yet he still had no response.

"This stinking door!" Bowser shouted out, as he decided to reel back his right arm, as he thought about slamming a punch into the door. He was about to punch the door, till he suddenly realized that he probably get in trouble for that. Taking deep breaths, Bowser reluctantly put away his punching arm, as he calmed down. "Gah! I hope this isn't me chasing after a needle in a haystack today! That needle being Blue Mint! Maybe he's in the room that belongs to his girlfriend on this floor?"

Bowser went to the door that was in front of Fuuka's room and just went straight to banging on it, eager to hear a quick response. Just like Minato's room, no response was had. Bowser just grunted from frustration.

"Tch. Maybe one of them other teenager twerps are still around, and knows where Blue Mint is," Bowser remarked. He picked one of the doors at random as he banged on it. It slowly opened as Junpei opened it yawning, as his eyes were closed as he slowly started to open them.

"Man I was just taking a nice nap. Who's outside my door… **WHOAAAAAA!**?" Junpei said as he freaked out upon seeing the Koopa King in front of him. Junpei was left speechless as he wasn't sure what to say as his face paled, while Bowser simply rolled his eyes from the reaction he saw. "Errr… what I meant to say was… I'm going to head out to get some breakfast, so bye!"

"Not so fast chump!" Bowser yelled out as he stepped forward and grabbed Junpei with his left hand before Junpei could make a mad dash away. He then raised his right free hand and formed it into a fist and raised it back, as Junpei's face began to sweat. "Tell me where Blue Mint is, before I give you a free knuckle sandwich for your breakfast!"

"Hey you can't do that!" Junpei said in a panic, as he could tell Bowser was not messing around.

"Alright chump. Why can't I sock you?" Bowser said with an annoyed face, as he bared his sharp teeth towards Junpei, growing more impatient, while Junpei gulped from seeing that.

"Because… because…because!?" Junpei muttered out, as he was growing more fearful. He then suddenly thought of something he hoped would convince the Koopa King to not slam a punch into him. "Because if you hurt me, I'll report you to The Master! Yeah that's it! I'll report you!"

"**GRRRRR!**" Bowser snarled out, as he had to admit that was a decent point. He had just gotten off his punishment. If he broke the rules so soon again, there was a decent chance, he just be punished with a similar or worse punishment, from the one he had for November. Bowser simply threw Junpei towards his bed, as the teenager was thankful he landed on something soft and Junpei just sighed with relief as he wiped sweat off his face. Bowser then slammed the door to Junpei's room, as the Koopa King was now back in the hallway while Junpei was thankful that was over with. Bowser eyed the other doors in the hallway and decided to see if any of Minato's other close companions would tell him, where the blue haired teen was.

"That guy needs to take a chill pill," Junpei whispered to himself, thankful as heck he did not get punched by Bowser at all.

We see Minato, Fuuka, and Yu in the teleportation room. Minato had made it, so he and Yu would be taken to the Training Room, for them both to have their face off against each other. The monitor nearby in the room displayed the area, where Sandbag was stationary in the middle. Yu and Minato both checked their beings as they made sure, they both had their Evokers on them and

"No holding back, you hear me?" Minato said, while Yu just smirked back at him.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Yu said back as they both stepped onto a panel.

"Good luck Minato. Also best wishes to you as well Yu," Fuuka said calmly as they both nodded towards her. "I'm going to head back to my room to get something. I'll be back later after I get it. Be well you two,"

Fuuka began to walk away as she was soon out of the room while Yu and Minato were soon transported to the so called Training Room. They decided for them both to be at opposite opposing ends of the room, using Sandbag as a marker for the center of the room, to make it fair for one another, as Yu walked over to the other side of Sandbag, and stood an equal distance away from it, like Minato. However this was probably the worst time they could have picked, as now switch back the factory where Galleom, the eight chairmen, and the scientists were.

"Isn't that… Mr. Arisato in that room right now?" Golden the yellow wearing chairman pointed out.

"Along with the leader of the Investigation Team, Yu Narukami," Ash the gray wearing chairman stated bluntly.

"What… what are they doing there?" Jade the green wearing chairman said both puzzled and annoyed by what he was seeing.

"Awww. Just when we were going to test Galleom. That's no fun," Sunset the orange wearing chairman whined. "Seriously, we can't send Galleom in there right now,"

"Darn… I got out of bed early for nothing," Sky the cyan chairman yawned out.

"Hmph! I say we test out Galleom on those two regardless! What better way to see it in action, when used against actual opposition?" Fuchsia the purple chairman suggested.

"No. We're not doing anything of that sort. Isn't that right Crimson?" Azure the blue chairman calmly stated. Crimson however looked deep in thought as he considered what he heard from everything else. He then decided to say his thoughts on the situation.

"Deploy Galleom for testing in the Training Room and have it activated once there. Now!" Crimson stated to the scientists in the room. Some of his brothers were pleased by what they heard, some disapproved of what they heard, and some looked unsure of what to think. The scientists all looked at each other, unsure if they should obey this order or not. "If none of you will do it, I'll do it myself!"

_*** Boss Battle 1 (Super Smash Bros Brawl) ***_

Crimson walked nearby to a control panel nearby and pulled down a lever that would start up the large teleportation device setup in the room, to teleport Galleom to other locations. The machine was now activated, causing energy to soon build up. Crimson in the meantime, grabbed an activation remote, out of one of the scientist's hands and activated Galleom as well. Soon a large flash of light blinded the room, as the large robot was gone. Everyone in the room then turned to face the large monitor that depicted the Training Room.

Minato drew out his sword, while Yu took out his golf club, as they were ready to soon fight, both with their own weapons and Personas. Before anyone could do anything, a large white light began to flash in the room, way above Sandbag. Both looked very confused, as they were both sure that was something that wasn't supposed to happen. Soon the huge robot Galleom just landed right behind Sandbag, as the sentient bag of sand looked at Galleom with nervous eyes. The huge robot using a powerful uppercut, sent Sandbag flying high towards the ceiling of the room, and was hit so hard, the bag of sand went comically blasting through the hard reinforced ceiling as it made a hole as it went flying out of the room.

"What… what is that thing!?" Yu said very concerned.

"I don't know!" Minato shouted out. "But it looks like we're going to have to work together against it!"

Galleom saw Minato in front of him and decided to try stomping the teen as he leaped towards him. Minato immediately dodge rolled forward, as the huge robot almost stomped on him, and he regrouped with Yu. The robot turned around as both Minato and Yu immediately decided to use their Evokers on themselves.

"Orpheus/Izanagi!" Both Minato and Yu yelled out respectively as they sounds of two gunshots rang out, from the use of their Evokers. "Agidyne/Ziodyne!"

Both Minato and Yu's main Personas appeared, as Orpheus strummed up a blast of fire an Izanagi slammed his spear like weapon on the ground, summoning a blast of electricity, as both projectiles were sent towards Galleom. The robot just took it, as if it were nothing as it barely reacted in response.

"Damn. That thing is more resilient then a Wealth Hand Shadow," Minato remarked, as Galleom set its rocket launchers aimed towards them.

"Get ready!" Yu shouted out, as Galleom fired four missiles towards them. Two towards Minato and two towards Yu. "Suparna! Magarudyne all those missiles!"

Yu used his Evoker as he summoned a large green and yellowish feathered mystical bird, that had purple feathers around its neck, head, and ankles and wore a silver headpiece with a red jewel within it. The large bird summoned a huge blast of wind as it diverted the missiles towards the sides of the room, causing explosions away from them. Galleom seeing this made its arms and legs retract into its being as it went into a tank like mode and form. The sound of engines roaring could be heard as it stayed in place. Before Yu and Minato could do anything, it charged forward with amazing speed, slamming them both against the wall, as both grunted in pain. It soon transformed back into its normal forms. Seeing Yu on the ground to the right of its front, it's raised its right leg, ready to step on Yu, till Minato intervened.

"King Frost! Bufula Galleon's right leg immediately!" Minato ordered as he used his Evoker. A big Jack Frost like Persona appeared, as it wore a metal dulled out gold suit around its body that had black skull symbols and a lock on it. It sent out a blast of ice that froze Galleom's right leg in the air. The huge robot lost balance, as it fell on its back, as Minato got up and helped Yu up.

"Thanks. That was a close one," Yu said in return. "Let me return the favor. Undine! Use a Mediarama on myself and Minato!"

Yu summoned a female blue water spirit, as it used the healing spell as both Wild Cards began to feel rejuvenated. Galleom was still on the ground as it struggled to get the ice that was attached to its right foot off.

"Now for me to give that robot some payback! Ippon-Datara use an Agilao!" Yu shouted out. A man wearing a black blacksmith like apron, wore a bronze metal mask that had a 4 symbol on it, with the mask having somewhat of a see-through hole for its left side of its eye. It wielded a large hammer and tong, tools that a blacksmith would use. It slammed both its tool together to summon a blast of fire towards the robot. Galleom was covered head to toe in fire, as the ice melted away and as it took more damage. The robot finally managed to pull itself up and leaped away from them, as it went into its tank mode again, intending to ram into them once more.

"It's charging up so it can ram us again," Yu stated. "Not good,"

"Hopefully this does the trick. Kali! High Counter now!" Minato immediately yelled out, as he used his Evoker. He summoned a red skinned human like being with six arms that each wielded a scimitar. Galleom charged forward intending, to ram into the two but the deity like being using its six arms raised out to grab the robot. It had a low chance of working, but he had to do something before that machine rammed into them again. Kali grabbed the robot with its immense strength as now a stalemate between pushing between both the powerful robot and the powerful deity. With surprising strength, Kali managed to force a push back, as Galleom in its tank form slammed back from the area it charged from.

"Nice job Minato," Yu praised. "You got a Persona for every situation,"

"I can say the same for you," Minato replied back. "Makes me wish you and the rest of your team were around back to help us for Tartarus. Anyway, let's finish this thing off before it does that to us,"

Galleom transformed back from its tank form to its robot form as both Minato and Yu took out their Evokers and used them once more.

"Legion/Berith!" Both Minato and Yu yelled out respectively as their Evokers were used. The Persona that Minato summoned was a mass of circular flesh made up of faces, while the one that Yu summoned was a knight riding a horse holding a lance. "Assault Dive/Single Shot!"

The Legion rose into the air as it moved towards Galleom, while Berith charged forward holding its lance. As both were closed, and as Legion was going to dive into Galleom with a ram, and as Berith threw its lance towards Galleom, the robot leaped over the attacks the two Persona summoned did, and was now closer to the center of the room. It then stomped its ways towards both Persona users, as both Minato and Yu stood right in front of it. It clasped both its fists, then raised them over the air towards Yu. Yu immediately dodged forward as Galleom slammed its hands down, almost hitting Yu with a powerful attack. Both Yu and Minato were to Galleom's left and right side at the moment. Galleom seeing this, quickly spun its arms around in a spin attack, as the robot sent both Persona users knocked away from him, and then looked towards Minato who was closer to him. Once again, Galleom attempted to step on someone as Galleom raised its right foot, this time towards Minato himself. Yu wasn't going to be having that as he quickly took out his Evoker.

"Kingu! Vicious Strike that robot's right foot right now!" Yu shouted as he summoned a red snake like being with a yellow skinned human like figure with angel wings on the front. Obeying Yu's orders, Kingu quickly flew as its serpentine body slammed into Galleom's foot and knocked the huge robot, causing it to fall onto its back once more. Yu rushed over to Minato as he helped him up.

"It's my turn to return the favor. Titania, Mediarama Yu and myself!" Minato ordered as he summoned the fairy queen like being who wore a green dress, had blonde hair, and had insect like wings. Minato's Persona used its own healing spell on them both, as they felt rejuvenated. Galleom on the meantime managed to get back standing up normally, as it had no ice encasing its right leg this time. It gave the two an even more intense glare (as it somehow managed that as its face was already designed to look as if it were in a permanent scowl) as both Yu and Minato stood their grounds.

"We're not giving up!" Yu proclaimed, as the robot used its fists to beat on its chest while he said that. Minato simply nodded as they both held out their melee weapons, as they continued to stand their ground. While all this was happening, all the scientists watching this were taking down various notes, while the eight chairmen watched with curiosity from their factory location.

"Well well well… Mr. Arisato and Mr. Narukami can put up quite the fight," Crimson mused out loud, in a confident arrogant tone, with a big smirk while the rest of his brothers looked at him with mixed reactions. "But can they keep it up? Galleom is still active and ready to fight till it no longer can. I wonder if those two can keep up with that beast of a robot,"

We now see Bowser back in the hallway belonging to the SEES members as his face was red and steam was coming off his head, and he began to snort smoke from his nostrils. After he tried to find out information from Junpei, he had tried to find Minato's location, from the other SEES members who were in their rooms. Needless to say, none of them would say, despite his efforts.

"**GAH!** Stinking teenager twerps!" Bowser whined out loud to himself. "None of them told me where Blue Mint is at the moment!"

Just as Bowser has finished speaking those words, Bowser heard elevator doors open up. He looked towards the directions of the elevator and saw someone he didn't expect. Same for the person who saw Bowser as she was surprised as well.

"Mr. Bowser? What are you doing here?" Fuuka asked curious and a bit nervous.

"Hey you! Blue Mints girlfriend…umm… Teal Mint!" Bowser said as he came up with a nickname for Fuuka on the spot, while Fuuka felt awkward hearing that, unsure of how to react to that nickname she was just given. "Where's Blue Mint at the moment?"

"Why should I tell you where he is?" Fuuka asked, concerned and skeptical of the Koopa King, wondering if he had some evil scheme for Minato at the moment.

"I got to talk to Blue Mint about something important," Bowser said calmly, realizing he had to handle this situation more delicately. "If you're worried if I got some evil plan or something up for Blue Mint… well I can't blame you Teal Mint. I wouldn't trust someone evil like me. But the point is… I really need to speak to him!"

"What do you need to speak to him about?" Fuuka asked concerned still. Bowser looked away feeling awkward, as he wasn't sure if he should tell Fuuka about what he wanted to do with Minato. He then decided if he was going to find Minato today, he had to speak up about it.

"Fine, but you better keep this a secret Teal Mint, you hear me?" Bowser whined, as Fuuka nodded back to the Koopa King. "Good. I… I just wanted to talk to Blue Mint about… settling things. That's all,"

"Settling things? Do you mean… you want to say sorry for the times you were mean to him and his friends?" Fuuka asked. Bowser quickly looked around the hallway, just to make sure himself and Fuuka were the only people in the hallway. After doing a quick look around and making sure that he and she were the only people in the hallway at the moment, Bowser reluctantly slowly nodded back to Fuuka, really not wanting to admit such a thing. "Mr. Bowser… I think he really appreciate that. Thank you,"

"Yeah yeah." Bowser said trying to keep his tough guy act going. "Just take me to Blue Mint will you?"

"Of course. I just have to grab something from my room, so I'll be right back," Fuuka said, as Bowser nodded back. Fuuka walked into her room in the hallway, and soon came back out holding what appeared to be a picnic basket, causing Bowser to have a curious expression on his face, as he wondered what was in the picnic basket. "Alright, let's go use the elevator on this floor, and go where Minato is,"

"Say Teal Mint… what's in the picnic basket? You planning to get a red hood and go become Red Riding Hood or something?" Bowser asked, as they both walked to the elevator on the floor and got on, as Fuuka pushed for the floor the teleportation room was on.

"Nothing like that. Just baked some cookies for Minato and a friend of his who came by today. Wanted to share with them," Fuuka explained. "Would you like a cookie Mr. Bowser? I wouldn't mind sharing with you,"

"Yes… I mean… maybe," Bowser said awkwardly as he still tried to come off as a tough guy, though his inner self was craving for some sweet treats at the moment. "Nah. I got to keep my sharp teeth in perfect condition. Don't want to get a toothache or something,"

"Alright, but if you change your mind you're free to do so. Mr. Bowser," Fuuka responded kindly. "Your youngest son enjoy them a lot. I'm sure you like them,"

"That's… good to hear," Bowser said, feeling more relaxed compared to before. "Junior likes you teenagers doesn't he?"

"Yes. Though when we all first met him, we all weren't on the best terms admittedly, but over time we've all developed a good relationship with him." Fuuka explained as Bowser smiled from hearing that. Soon they arrived at the floor that held the teleportation area. "We should be seeing Minato soon,"

Both Bowser and Fuuka got off the elevator as they were now in the hallway that led to the room that held the teleportation devices that let the fighters in the Smash Bros tournaments be teleported to whatever arenas they wish to fight or train in. As soon as they entered the room, both saw a surprising sight on a large monitor nearby.

"**MINATO! YU!**" Fuuka screamed in fear, as she saw them both fighting that giant robot that was Galleom and felt extremely concerned by what she saw. Minato and Yu were both heavily breathing and had bruises on them, by this point in their battle. Fuuka immediately looked towards Bowser, as she had one of her very rare moments where she felt and shown anger towards another, which definitely surprised Bowser, as he was pretty sure she was the nicest and calmest of all the so called teenager twerps. Fuuka couldn't help her anger, as Bowser had been such a huge pain in the past, and for him to possibly be the one who the current bad situation for Yu and her loved one crossed her mind, caused her emotions to just become unstable for the moment. "**DID YOU… DID YOU DO THIS!?**"

"Hey! I have no clue what's going on here Teal Mint! I swear I have no freaking clue what the heck I'm looking at right now!" Bowser answered back to her, in a panic. "I have nothing to do with that huge purple robot that is fighting Blue Mint and his gray haired buddy in that room right now! Koopa's honor! I'm just as confused as you are!"

"Then we have to save them!" Fuuka shouted out afraid, while Bowser just nodded. He couldn't talk to Minato if he was no longer among the living. She looked at the monitor and saw that Minato and Yu were fighting that huge robot in the Training Room… and then she suddenly realized an idea that would hopefully work. "Mr. Bowser! I have an idea!"

"What's your idea then?" Bowser said, as Fuuka quickly went up the Koopa King and told him her idea. After Fuuka had finished explaining her idea, Bowser had a big smarmy grin appear on his face, as his sharp teeth shined. "Smart thinking Teal Mint!"

Bowser immediately ran onto one of the teleportation pads, as he soon teleported himself into the room. Galleom had sustained more damage since then, but it was still raring to fight. Minato and Yu however were still both heavily breathing, and were feeling more physically and mentally exhausted compared to before. This fight against Galleom was starting to take its toll on them. Galleom was about to leap at them, till a certain someone suddenly appeared in the room, causing the robot to be distracted by their presence, while both Minato and Yu were just surprised by who they saw. The chairmen and all the scientists also watching the fight from, were at a loss of words, unsure of what to say.

"Isn't that..." Yu managed to say in surprise, as he couldn't believe who was here now.

"Bowser!?" Minato yelled out. Bowser had a huge cocky grin on his face, as he was now in the room with the two, along with Galleom.

"The one and only! The most awesome dude ever!" Bowser boasted towards the two Wild Card users. "You two teenager chumps forgot that this is the Training Room! And in the Training Room you can practice with items as well! With that said… I want one Smash Ball if this Training Room won't mind!

When Bowser has finished speaking, a Smash Ball object has suddenly appeared in the room, and went towards Bowser. Bowser quickly slammed both his fists into it repeatedly, as Galleom began to aim its rocket launchers towards the Koopa King. Bowser then finished breaking it, as he then glowed an intense aura, as his eyes became yellow.

"Now to show this robot, who's the real giant!" Bowser yelled out with excitement. An intense light covered Bowser, as both Minato and Yu covered their eyes, and an extremely monstrous roar was heard. As soon as the light was gone, both Minato and Yu backed away slowly, as what they saw was extremely intimidating.

Bowser had now transformed into his Giga Bowser form, which was his Final Smash. Bowser's Final Smash had allowed him to transform into this form temporarily. He was the size of a giant comparable to Galleom. He was much bigger, taller, muscular, wore a shell that had become significantly more spiky, now had huge demonic like bull horns on his head, his face became more monstrous. Bowser's whole being had became significantly more intense and bestial compared to before in this form.

Giga Bowser wasted no time as it lunged itself at Galleom, knocking the huge robot down. Giving no time at all for the robot to do anything else, Giga Bowser began to savagely claw, smash, and tear apart the machine as if it were nothing more than something meant to be beat to death, as Minato and Yu were at a loss for words. Needless to say, both Wild Cards noted they would never want to be around Bowser, if he had a Smash Ball on his being. Soon Galleom crackled with electricity, as it became defunct, and Giga Bowser ripped off its right metallic arm from the rest of the robot. Giga Bowser then did a monstrous demonic victory roar, as the room echoed with the sounds from the beast, as it took pride in its victory. Thankfully it was over as a blinding white light soon appeared over Giga Bowser, and as soon as it was gone, Bowser was back to his old self now.

Everyone watching from the factory where Galleom was built was silent now. All the scientists who helped create the machine, and the eight chairmen whose expressions on their faces were needless to say, unreadable. It's as if everyone wasn't sure what kind of reaction to have, or if they were even capable of emotion for the current time being. Silence continued to fill the room, till Crimson decided to break it.

"Gentlemen… as of right now… this project is temporarily put on hold. As for myself, I'll be heading back to the office in Smash Tower. That is all," Crimson said calmly as he slowly began to walk away. The scientists all stood silent just not sure what to say, while the rest of the chairmen who felt awkward at the scene, followed their red wearing brother out. It seemed that was the end of that.

"**I RULE!**" Bowser bragged with arrogance, as he raised his fist into the air, as if he had just won a gold medal at the Olympics. Both Minato and Yu cautiously walked towards him, as they decided to say some stuff to him.

"Thank you for saving us," Yu said, as Bowser looked towards them now from hearing that. "Things could have ended really badly, if you didn't show up,"

"Hmph! I just came down here to the training room to get some practice! That's all!" Bowser said as he crossed his arms and closed his eyes.

"Whatever you say Bowser." Minato said with a smile. Suddenly another presence entered the room, as the three turned to look towards it.

"Yu! Minato! Thank goodness you're all safe!" Fuuka said, as she ran towards them as she dropped the picnic basket she was holding earlier onto the ground of the training floor, as she ran right into both and gave them a warm group hug. "I was so worried!"

"We're safe now Fuuka," Minato said with a very gentle smile. Fuuka smiled immensely when she heard that.

"Did Bowser speak to you yet Minato?" Fuuka asked. Minato looked confused, while Bowser looked annoyed from hearing that.

"Speak to me? About what?" Minato replied. The three Persona users in the room turned towards Bowser, as the Koopa King just sighed.

"Blue Mint… we got stuff to talk about. That's all," Bowser said reluctantly. "Why don't we… talk in your room over… cookies? Your girlfriend here, made some for you in that picnic basket over there, and went to go get them earlier,"

"I wanted to share it with you two, after your match was over with each other," Fuuka explained to both Minato and Yu.

"Cookies would sound great after everything that just happened," Yu said. "What was the deal with that robot?"

"Guess we'll have to find out later," Minato answered to Yu. Minato then looked towards Bowser and nodded. "Sure Bowser. Let's have cookies in my room."

Bowser just grinned happily from hearing that while Minato, Yu, and Fuuka smiled as well. While things didn't work out exactly as planned, they were glad it ended well at the moment for all of them.

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

**So that's the end of Chapter 48. How was it? Notes as always.**

**1\. Bowser's Giga Bowser form first appeared in Super Smash Bros Melee. However it wasn't officially usable till Super Smash Bros Brawl when Final Smashes were introduced. Final Smashes were kept in Smash 3DS and Smash Wii U, and Bowser can still transform into Giga Bowser for his Final Smash in those installments as well.**

**2\. Bowser saying "I RULE!" is a reference to when he audibly said it after he deals the finishing blow to the final boss in Mario &amp; Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story.**

**3\. All of the Personas that Minato and Yu summon, are ones they can from Persona 3 and Persona 4 respectively, as well as the attacks they use.**

**4\. All the attacks that Galleom does are true to its source game (Super Smash Bros Brawl). This version did not have a Subspace Bomb within it, and was not created by the Subspace Army though, to note. **

**5\. Boss Battle 1 plays when you fight Galleom in the Subspace Emissary. It also plays when you fight another boss during the Subspace Emissary (Duon). This track is unlockable for use in Brawl and Smash Wii U.**

**6\. In Smash Bros, the Training Mode lets you practice on any stage, and test out any items. In Smash Bros 3DS &amp; Wii U, they have a room where you can practice on Sandbag for testing out Custom Moves. This was where the Yu, Minato, and Bowser fought Galleom in this chapter. **

**That's it for now. I hope you're all enjoying this story so far. If you wish to say anything, criticize, point out, etc, don't be afraid to do so. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and till next time!**


	49. Making Amends

**Finally the next chapter is here! I apologize for the long delay as I've had to deal with my schedule changing due to a change in work for the holiday season, and for this chapter not being the eventful one. As always, before I move on I will address reviews before moving on.**

**From Dash master 48, yeah I would say Junpei got lucky in that situation though I don't think he be outright killed. Punched in the face though? Definitely had things didn't pan out the way it did. As for whether I'll have Labrys show up, that is something I have considered but ultimately haven't decided on. I'm going to say unlikely, and not guaranteed. Sorry. Maybe I'll change my mind later on, but for now I will say not likely at this current time.**

**As always I thank everyone who has been reading this story, and I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

Minato, Fuuka, Yu, and now Bowser were now back in Minato's room, as Bowser stuffed himself silly with chocolate chip cookies from the picnic basket, as Minato, Yu, and Fuuka each held their a cookie, that they slowly ate.

"Can one of you order some milk? Go great with these cookies," Bowser said happily as he chomped on the sweet chocolate chip cookies. Both Minato and Yu simply rolled their eyes, while Fuuka nodded back, as she ordered room service for milk, and hot tea as drinks. "Nice! So while we wait, I have to talk to Blue Mint about stuff now finally,"

"Should I excuse myself?" Yu asked. "Or is this one of those talks that are allowed to be more than one on one?"

"Good question Yu. Should I excuse myself as well Mr. Bowser?" Fuuka asked. Bowser stopped eating chocolate chip cookies as he went into deep thought, wondering if what he wanted to talk about with Minato, was something he should keep private or not. After a couple of moments passed he just ended up shrugging.

"Why not? Kind of late for me to not have you two not wanting to talk with him anyway," Bowser answered. "Anyway… so Blue Mint… no… I should stop saying that… your name is Minato right?"

Yu, Fuuka, and Minato himself were surprised, that Bowser had finally referred to him by his proper name since the first time they met. Minato slowly nodded back to Bowser in response.

"Right… Minato. Look, I'll get this off my chest so you better pay attention because I'm not repeating myself. I'm sorry I was a jerk to you in the past and I'll… try to be less of one towards you and all your pals for the future, alright? I'm sorry. " Bowser said quietly. The Koopa King waited for a response, as Minato, Yu, and Fuuka remained silent upon hearing this. "I know. It's a bit of a shocker. Being a huge jerk to you guys, I wouldn't blame any of you punks for not wanting to accept my-"

"I accept your apology," Minato responded calmly, as he interrupted the Koopa King. Bowser blinked his eyes for a bit, as he took that in, surprised by what he just heard, as he didn't expect for the blue haired teen to accept it so easily and be so forgiving. "I appreciate you trying to make amends. It means a lot. Thanks Bowser,"

"Yeah… well I'm thankful you accepted it," Bowser responded quietly, glad the blue haired teenager accepted it. Room service has finally just arrived, as everyone in the room took a drink. After some moments of gulping down some milk, Bowser then looked towards Yu, as he sighed, figuring why not while he had the opportunity at the moment. "Hey. Pal of Minato. Sorry to you and your friends as well."

"It's alright. Just stop doing mean stuff like forcing us all to go to a haunted mansion where we can all get killed and all," Yu said after he took a sip from a cup of hot tea. Bowser just stuffed his face with cookies from hearing that, and nodded to what Yu said. Yu then turned his attention to Minato as he finished the rest of his hot tea, and then addressed the blue haired leader of SEES. "Anyway… Minato. It looks like we'll have to face off another time due to today's events. Be ready for me and the rest of the Investigation Team in the future Minato. I should head back and see how the rest of my team is doing. Be well Minato,"

With that said, Yu said his goodbyes to everyone else in the room as he soon left it. After he left, room service had just happened to arrive

"Tch. Between me and you two, I bet you can easily beat that pal of yours Minato. That guy already has gray hair for his age," Bowser joked, while Minato and Fuuka just sighed from hearing that. "That aside… so that's pretty much it. As of right now, I got nothing against you or any of your pals. Better keep it that way though,"

"Trust me, it's something I definitely acknowledge," Minato said. Bowser hearing that, was very pleased.

"Good. Alright, I guess that's it. See you guys later," Bowser said as he was about to walk off. Before he did, Fuuka stopped him when he heard her ask a question.

"Wait Mr. Bowser! Before you go, do you mind if I ask you a question?" Fuuka asked. Bowser turned to face her and merely shrugged, figuring why not. "Why did you… be mean to Minato in the first place?"

"Huh… you really want to know huh?" Bowser said quietly, as Fuuka nodded back to him Minato himself grew a bit curious as well. "I guess it be alright. So the reason why I acted that way towards the guy was… well I wanted to force him out of the tournament,"

"Force me out of the tournament?" Minato asked, as he and Fuuka became very curious from what he heard.

"Well you haven't officially been made a fighter yet right? Still being tested or something to get in and all?" Bowser asked. Minato slowly nodded, though in reality that was far from what he was fighting for. "Yeah well… personally I'm not so fond of new fighters joining this competition,"

"And why's that?" Minato asked back, as both his and Fuuka curiosity grew even more.

"Any new punk that joins this competition… I end up losing to them a bunch for a while," Bowser answered back. Bowser had a mental image popping up in his mind, of himself fighting Mega Man for the first time on an arena called Battlefield. He remembered laughing at Mega Man, till the blue robot managed to pick him up with surprising strength due to his Super Arm ability, and managed to toss him into a world of pain. "Needless to say, for the most part, I don't really care for most newcomers. When I heard you were being tested to get in, I figured, I should make you not want to get in,"

"So… you did everything you did because you were concerned about your win record?" Minato asked, who at first though it sounded insanely petty, but he then realized this was Bowser he was dealing with. Bowser simply folded his arms and nodded back, looking a bit annoyed.

"People don't like to lose. I sure as heck don't at the very least," Bowser answered back. "Yeah I admit it. I can be really petty and scummy when I feel like it. I am a bad guy! But like I said before, I'm alright with you and your pals for now… though thinking about it… something just came to my head. Question for you before I head out. Why are you being tested to join this tournament anyway? Every fighter aside from you as far as I'm aware just got in easily by signing a contract. You… you however are some special case for some reason aren't you?"

Minato and Fuuka looked towards each other, unsure if they should tell Bowser the real reason they were fighting. Despite the Koopa King finally willing to play nice somewhat with them, he was still a very volatile person. Still, it was something they would have to answer for the moment.

"The Master has his reasons. Not sure if I'm the best person to say about that… for now at least," Minato replied. Bowser just merely smirked from hearing that.

"Tch. I guess I'll find out eventually from someone. Though speaking of mysteries… what the heck was the deal with that giant purple robot?" Bowser answered back. "I still don't get what the deal with it was, or what the heck it was doing in that room. You two have any ideas?"

"Still don't know anything about it." Minato answered as Fuuka nodded with him. "It just showed up out of nowhere before I was supposed to face off against Yu.

"Heh. You just attract all sorts of attention towards you. Might want to look into that," Bowser taunted while Minato simply rolled his eyes from hearing that. "Well I hope you get less trouble in the future. Anyway, I better be off. I'm going to head out and chill out with my me time. I feel I could use the rest after kicking that purple robot's butt. Later!"

With that Bowser headed out Minato's room, as Minato and Fuuka were the only ones that remained. They looked toward each other and sighed, as the thoughts of what happened earlier today was still present in their minds.

"What a weird day," Minato said with a shrug. "Then again, I guess that can apply to a lot of days in my life, for better or worse. Glad it worked out between me and Bowser finally,"

"Yeah. It's nice that you two are on better terms now." Fuuka said happily. "So what now Minato? The rest of the day is still here and all,"

"Hmmm… well after dealing with that giant purple robot, I'm feeling a bit sore. I think I'll just rest in my room here, and call it a day. I'll fight Yu in the future. As well as the rest of the Investigation Team one by one," Minato replied. He then yawned as he felt tired. "Going to change into my blue pajamas,"

"Can I hang out with you Minato?" Fuuka asked. "I still want to spend the day with you,"

"Of course." Minato said back with a smile. "I'm going to take a shower and then change."

"I'll head back to my room and do the same, then head back here. See you shortly," Fuuka answered back. Fuuka gave Minato a peck on his cheek before she headed out, while Minato went to his closet in his room, to grab some fresh blue pajamas he would bring into his bathroom, he would switch into after his shower.

* * *

Some brief time has passed as now we now switch scenes to seeing a meeting in the chairmen room. The three elite Mii Fighters were outside the entrance to the room, guarding it, but even they could feel the tension in the air, as they saw the mixed facial expressions of the eight chairmen when they returned. All eight chairmen were sitting in it, and the atmosphere in the room was very tense. Some of the chairmen looked confused, come looked nervous, and some looked ready to say things. Both Crimson and Azure in particular looked at each other, as silence filled the room, till Crimson decided to finally break the silence.

"Say what you want to say Azure. We're all family here." Crimson said, as Azure merely looked annoyed.

"What you did back in that facility… with Galleom and Mr. Arisato… and even with Mr. Narukami present is something I don't approve of," Azure said calmly.

"I don't care for your approval Azure. I wanted Galleom tested and who better than two significantly strong individuals to go against it?" Crimson stated.

"I don't care for what you did today. Cut the bull. You just wanted to take your anger out on Mr. Arisato for the stunt he pulled on us the other night," Azure said. "I understand not being fond of him, but you took it too far,"

"That teenager brat could have avoided all this had he signed his contract at the beginning of the year!" Crimson yelled out. Azure stared back not amused, while everyone else had mixed reactions in the room. "The Master should… waiver his rights to be a fighter!"

"Just calm down. I get it. You don't like him. Well fine. I'm not the biggest fan of him either, but he has to be among the living in order for The Master to make him a fighter. That was such a… Bowser like move to let your emotions dictate your actions. We reprimanded the Koopa King in the past for doing such actions against Mr. Arisato and those associated with him. You should be above that!" Azure snapped back, in an angry tone, surprising the rest of his brothers. Crimson flinched as the words he heard.

"I'm just passionate. That's all," Crimson replied back weakly, but he had to admit what he just heard was true. The red wearing chairman just sighed as he had to admit what his blue wearing brother said was true. "Fine. I admit it. I shouldn't have sent Galleom after those two."

"Good. I'm glad you can see the error of your ways. I'll go see Mr. Arisato, and see how he's doing." Azure stated as he soon got up from his chair and soon run out of the room. The rest of the chairmen looked at Azure till he was soon gone, and then the rest looked at Crimson who only ended up sighing.

"I guess The Master really picked an interesting one this time…" Crimson muttered out loud while the other chairmen in the room remained silent, figuring it was best they shouldn't say anything.

We now switch back to Minato and Fuuka as they were chilling in his room as both were sitting on Minato's bed in his room, with a blue soft blanket over their legs, as both held coffee mugs with hot green tea, in their mugs, as they drank it quietly. They had a TV turned on nearby as it was the news channel that was currently talking about the weather outside, with the snow falling. Suddenly they heard a knock on the door to the room.

"I'll get it," Minato said, wondering who was at the door. As soon as he opened the door, he saw that it was the blue chairmen. His facial expression turned into one of suspicion and frustration. "What do you want?"

"Hello Mr. Arisato. I wish to speak with you in your room. May I come in?" Azure stated calmly, while Minato looked back towards Fuuka. She briefly hesitated, unsure but ultimately nodded to him, showing she was fine with it. Minato nodded back to Azure, showing he allowed him in his room. Azure went to a chair in the room to sit down on, while Minato went back to his bed and sat down next to Fuuka. "Thank you. I see Ms. Yamagishi is also present here."

"Say whatever you're here to say," Minato said venomously, as he was still extremely not fond of the chairmen.

"Very well. I appreciate someone who likes to get to the point at times. I personally wanted to clear up an incident that happened to you earlier… today," Azure calmly stated, and both Minato and Fuuka immediately reacted with what they heard, as mixed emotions became very present on their faces. "I see you two are well aware to what that incident is."

"Are you… and your brothers the one behind sending that giant purple robot against Minato and Yu?" Fuuka asked, as she could feel frustration building in her face.

"Yes. I do not expect forgiveness, but to merely elucidate Mr. Arisato on what occurred to him earlier today," Azure said.

"And why do you want to do that?" Minato asked, wondering what was going through this chairman's head.

"While myself and the rest of my brothers aren't fully… enthralled with you Mr. Arisato, some of us take less issue with you in comparison. Some of us don't. It probably didn't help when you and Ms. Yamagishi were responsible for how dinner ended up at a certain restaurant we invited you two for…"

"Trust me. You and your brothers deserved that," Minato said, while Azure slightly just looked annoyed from that. "But continue with what you were saying before."

"Very well. Where was I… oh yes. We were testing that robot you fought earlier for applications we would have deemed useful. That robot… Galleom. We were sending him to the Training Room for testing,"

"But… Minato and Yu were in that room when you sent that thing in there!" Fuuka said. "How could you do that!?"

"Like I said, some of my brothers really don't like you." Azure said with a shrug, as this caused Minato's face to really become angry and Fuuka's face to sadden. "Though I want to note that you and Mr. Narukami are quite the fighters. I'm sure you and Mr. Narukami would have defeated Galleom anyway, before Bowser came to help you both."

"Yu and I have faced a lot of tough opponents from our own journeys. Who can say?" Minato replied back. "I still appreciate Bowser for help saving us,"

"I see. Anyway that's all I came down here is to clear up what happened to you earlier this morning. I feel you deserve that much." Azure said. "Well I best be going. As always Mr. Arisato… if you ever decide to sign your contract, you know where to come find us. I'll be off,"

Azure then left the room, and it soon went back to being just Minato and Fuuka. Both sighed, as they looked at each other, glad what happened earlier was cleared up.

"Well that explains that… Galleom robot," Minato said.

"Thankfully that's over and we can put it behind us," Fuuka added with a sigh.

"Nicely said. Let's go back to just relaxing. I just want to relax for the rest of the day," Minato said with a smile, as Fuuka nodded back to him happily. "Let's call for more drinks and sweets,"

* * *

Meanwhile we see Bowser sitting by himself at a table in a cafeteria. He held a big coffee mug filled with hot chocolate, complete with whip cream and marshmallows in the cafeteria. He was calmly taking swigs of his sweet drink, as he was calmly enjoying his solo time. He had a plate filled with tons of gingerbread men cookies and was snacking away, as eating Fuuka's chocolate chip cookies earlier had put the Koopa King into a sweet tooth mood. He was happily snacking away, till he saw two familiar angels nearby.

"Oooh! Are those gingerbread cookies? Don't mind if I do!" Pit excited said as he took a seat across Bowser. Dark Pit sighed and rolled his eyes, as he took a seat next to Pit, and before Bowser could do anything (or say anything as his mouth currently had gingerbread men cookies being chewed on within it), Pit took one of the gingerbread cookies from the table and took a bite. "These are delicious!"

"Gat yur awn cookays!" Bowser tried to awkwardly say, as he still had gingerbread men cookies in his mouth. Bowser growled realizing this, as he quickly drank more hot chocolate to wash the cookies in his mouth down and into his stomach, letting him speak properly now. "Let me try that again. Get your own cookies!"

"I can see where Junior's love for sweets comes from," Dark Pit remarked as Pit kept stuffing his face, while Bowser had steam boil and pop out from his head, mad he was being ignored and more of his cookies were being eaten not by him, as Dark Pit took one gingerbread cookie for himself and took a bite. "You're right Pit. These are good."

"I know. I'm always happy to dine in this tower," Pit remarked, before eating more gingerbread men cookies as Bowser rolled his eyes at what he was seeing, and looked even more annoyed.

"I'll make sure to target you punks, in a future free for all match," Bowser whined as he decided to just share his cookies with them as he took another one for himself. "So how was both your days anyway, angel dweebs?"

"Great! Went out in the morning and made a snowman," Pit exclaimed.

"Threw snowballs at Pit." Dark Pit said while Pit shot Dark Pit an annoyed look before shrugging, and went back to eating more cookies.

"Typical. Not surprised with the snow outside and all," Bowser replied. "Though making a snowman with Junior be nice, later this month. Throwing snowballs at Chicken Wings sounds nice as well,"

"Hey! Cut me some slack!" Pit whined while Bowser just laughed at Pit's reaction, while Dark Pit just smirked from what he heard.

"I'm going to get myself a drink. Be back," Dark Pit said, as he got up and decided to get a drink. This left Pit and Bowser on the table by themselves. As soon as Dark Pit was out of earshot, Bowser began to speak with Pit.

"So Chicken Wings… I just remembered… you didn't forget about our bet now… did you?" Bowser said with a big mischievous grin, just as Pit was chewing on another cookie. Pit's eyes freaked out, and he began to choke on his cookie, as he began to comically beat his chest with his right hand, as to get the cookie down into his body without choking. Eventually, Pit miraculously managed to swallow the cookie down, as he began to cough and breathe loudly. "I'm going to guess by what I just saw, you do remember Chicken Wings,"

"No! I just … I just had an allergic reaction to these cookies! Yeah that's it!" Pit said in a panicky state, as he tried to smile, and it came off as him forcing it. Bowser just blinked his eyes, looking bored, as he was not buying it at all. "It's just… my allergy reactions are delayed! That's all!"

"Right… delayed allergy reactions," Bowser said back sarcastically. "You definitely remember the bet! Don't try to weasel out! Lucina getting with your evil twin before the end of the year! If he got with her I had to dress up in a tutu to a song of your choice! But if he didn't get with her, you had to do it!"

"Yeah… yeah I remember that," Pit said back uneasily as he had sweat form on his face, and his eyes look paled. "Well about that… I still have the rest of this month left!"

"I won't deny that. But the way you're acting, somethings up," Bowser said curiously. Pit began to shake his head wildly, left to right, to indicate no, but this only caused Bowser to become more skeptical. "Yep. Something is definitely up. Maybe I'll ask your evil twin what's the deal with that at the moment,"

Before Pit could say anything else, Dark Pit came back holding a cup filled with hot chocolate with whip cream and marshmallows as well. Bowser smirked as he his sharp teeth shined, and Pit gulped. Bowser quickly looked around, seeing who and who wasn't around before he decided to ask

"Hey Dark Pit. How's your relationship with Lucina going?" Bowser casually asked as he took a sip from his own hot chocolate. Pit's teeth began to chatter, while Dark Pit raised his eyebrows from what he just heard. "It's not a big deal. I'm sure most people know. You make it so obvious,"

Dark Pit looked annoyed and was about to yell at Bowser, but suddenly just closed his eyes, and took a couple of deep breaths, as he tried to calm himself down. After a few moments passed, he just sighed.

"It didn't work out. Lucina is already with someone from her world," Dark Pit said quietly. Bowser suddenly felt bad, as the tone Dark Pit took with him was not his usual self. "I've already accepted that fact and I'm alright with it. Sometimes things work out, sometimes things don't,"

"You could learn something from Pittoo Bowser. With Princess Peach and all," Pit said, which caused Bowser to look annoyed at Pit before looking back at Dark Pit.

"Geez… sorry to hear about that." Bowser said quietly.

"It is what it is. But hey, I'm glad to get it over with and know how she really feels," Dark Pit said with a shrug. He then took another cookie, before getting up. "Well I'm going to head to my room. See you guys later,"

Dark Pit slowly walked away, as Bowser and Pit remained quiet. As soon as Dark Pit was gone from the area, Bowser quietly turned to face Pit, his face actually looking like it looked a bit sympathetic as Bowser scratched the back of his head awkwardly. Pit quietly ate more cookies as it just suddenly got quieter for the both of them. Bowser finally broke the silence.

"Huh. Well that was awkward." Bowser said with a shrug, unsure how to feel at what just happened.

"No kidding. But he's been very mature about it and has been taking it pretty well," Pit said.

"Yeah. I can see what you mean," Bowser replied. "He's a tough guy. He'll be alright. Seems alright so far at least."

"Wow Bowser. I don't think I've ever seen you compliment someone like that, besides Princess Peach or Junior. You must be in a decent mood today," Pit said surprised.

"Don't push it Chicken Wings," Bowser said back annoyed. "You still got to fulfill your part of the bet!"

Pit's face went comically sad as his face had a look both frustration and fear go through it, while Bowser rolled his eyes from what he saw.

"You know what? I'm feeling generous. I won't make you do the bet," Bowser said. Pit immediately looked surprised from what he just heard.

"Really? Are you serious!?" Pit said sounding confused as Bowser nodded his head. "You're not pulling my leg?"

"Nope. Though now that I think about it… the look on your face be priceless if I told you that I was…" Bowser responded and said contemplatively.

"But why?" Pit asked still confused why Bowser would do such a thing. "Why would you do that for me? You really like being a jerk to other people,"

"I know. As for why I'll be nice to you just this once… I'm feeling generous after today that's all. I'm in a really good mood," Bowser answered, while Pit raised his eyebrows from hearing that, unsure if his hearing was right. "Just got off my ban from matches, had some sweet chocolate chip cookies earlier, and… I finally decided to get along with Blue Mint… I mean Minato and he's alright,"

"Whoa… you and Minato are cool with each other now?" Pit said not expecting to hear that.

"Yep. Well at least better than before at the moment. He better not do anything to mess it up," Bowser said, trying to act tough. "He and his teenager pals, are friendly towards Junior as well, so he has a decent standing with me at the moment. After some time thinking during my ban from Smash matches, I decided I figure I should think over some things. One of them being how I handle myself around the guy,"

"Wow. Pretty mature of you Bowser. You're usually pretty immature all things considering," Pit said with a big cheeky grin. What Bowser just heard, happened to really tick him off.

"**HEY! I AINT IMMATURE! I AM PLENTY MATURE CHICKEN WINGS! I OUGHT A**-" Bowser yelled out with steam popping out his head, and shaking his right fist at Pit. He suddenly stopped as he realized what he was doing. Anyone else who happened to be nearby stared at Bowser with blank expressions on their faces from the outburst they just heard and saw. Bowser who saw he was being looked at when he looked around, slowly and awkwardly stopped shaking his right fist at Pit, and tried to awkwardly smile as if nothing had happened. Anyone else nearby now just looked away, just wondering what that was all about.

"Like I said, pretty mature of you Bowser," Pit said with a big grin once more, while Bowser grumbled to himself annoyed.

"Shut it. Don't make me change my mind about making you holding your end of the bet," Bowser threatened while Pit just held the back of his head with his right hand, smiling still. "Anyway since you and your evil twin ate some of my gingerbread men cookies, I'm going to order some more, along with some other sweets. Want to join me on snacking?"

"You bet!" Pit said happily, as Bowser smiled from hearing that, as both got up to get more sweets. "I could go for some hot chocolate as well."

"Good choice. The hot chocolate today is really sweet. Now let's get some more sweet stuff!" Bowser said as they planned to stuff themselves silly. Before they could do anything, they heard a voice call out from behind them.

"Hold it!" said the voice, as the two looked confused and then turned around. They saw one of the elite Mii Fighters walking up to them.

"You're Sword-Fighter, right?" Pit said a bit uneasily, as he didn't normally interact with any of the elite Mii Fighters, as the other person nodded in response, while Bowser rolled his eyes, wondering what the real actual names of the elite Mii Fighters were actually.

"Yes I am. I was going to initially tape these to your doors, but since you two are here, I need to give you two something," Sword-Fighter said as he took out what appeared to be two envelopes with black Smash emblems emblazoned on them. Both Bowser and Pit looked confused as the elite Mii Fighter handed them each the envelope. "Myself along with Brawler and Gunner are handing these out to every official fighter in the tournament today,"

"What's in the envelope?" Pit asked with curiosity.

"And don't you and your two other elite buddies have people working for you to handle stuff like this?" Bowser said. "You got workers, you better be using them. I let my minions do my laundry or busy work!"

"That is not for me to say, for what's inside those envelopes. As for why I and the two other elite Mii Fighters are delivering these, considering how some of you fighters can be, The Master wanted us to be the ones delivering them just to be on the safe side." Sword-Fighter explained. "Well I wish you two the rest of your day to be well. Good day,"

Sword-Fighter walked away from the two, while Pit and Bowser stared at the envelopes they held, and then at each other.

"Should we open them now?" Pit said out loud, as he put on a thinking position.

"Nah. I'm curious too, but what if it's something private meant to be seen?" Bowser said. "I'll look at mine privately once I'm back in my room. It's not like we can share them later if we want too. Now come on. Let's get more hot chocolate and gingerbread men cookies.

* * *

It was now the evening of that day as the sky was already dark due to the time of year. Minato and Fuuka were sitting together, right next to each other, just enjoying each others company and warmth. Nearby on a table was two empty mugs that previously held some hot chocolate before, as they opted for the sweeter drink later during the day. Right now the two were simply enjoying their time together, as it was very calm.

"This is nice isn't it?" Minato said, with a smile, as Fuuka beamed in response as she nodded back to him. "Cuddling with you in warm comfy pajamas during a cold Winter night, while it's snowing outside, in a warm bedroom together,"

"It is nice." Fuuka said. "Drinking hot cocoa, bundling up with you like this… it's really nice,"

"Reminds me of back when we were at the dorms after we got together," Minato said, while Fuuka beamed Memories of when the two would just hang out a lot during the Winter having such nice moments together.

"Yeah. I remember how we would just sit down together and have hot chocolate like this," Fuuka said happily. "It was nice,"

"Indeed. Let's make the most of this month while we can Fuuka," Minato said with a smile, as Fuuka nodded back to him in agreement.

"Christmas is coming up soon as well Minato. Ready to celebrate?" Fuuka asked.

"I am. In fact… let's have a really good holiday event with everyone. Our group, the Investigation Team, and with our fighter friends from this tower," Minato said back.

"That sounds like a great idea Minato," Fuuka said back. "We'll tell the others tomorrow,"

"Yeah. I'm ready to go to sleep. Let's brush out teeth, then head to bed together," Minato said, as they both slowly got up, to head to the bathroom in his room.

Elsewhere we see Pit dressed in his white pajamas, as he was sitting in his bed and he held the envelope. He carefully opened it, as he didn't want to damage whatever contents that were inside the envelope. He took out a document that was carefully and cleanly written as he read the document over. After he was done reading, he had a look of confusion appear on his face. What was the content on that letter?

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

**So what did you guys think? Notes as usual.**

**1\. Bowser growing up has shown to have a love for cookies as in Mario &amp; Luigi: Partners in Time, being very young during a certain scene in the game, he is seen snacking on a lot of cookies.**

**2\. So not a note related to the story directly this time, but something I did wanted to note. So as of this time as of December 2016, the Nintendo Switch has been unveiled earlier in October 2016. If any further details regarding a Super Smash Bros game for the Nintendo Switch (whether it be a new game, a enhanced version of Super Smash Bros 4, etc) comes out prior to finishing this story, I will find it unlikely (not guaranteed) that I will incorporate any additional new elements unless I see fit otherwise. This story is nearly towards the end, as we are nearing the endgame, so I feel if I were to incorporate any new elements from the official Smash Bros series by this point, it would feel a bit too late to handle it properly. This is also only if such an event were to occur.**

**So that's it for now. I hope you all are enjoying this story so far. As always if you have anything you want to say, criticize, point out, and so on, don't be afraid to do so. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and till next time!**


	50. Holiday Hangout

**Chapter 50 at least! We have entered the year of 2017 as well (despite this chapter coming out in February in 2017), so Happy New Year!**

**Well that day has now passed and that's that. Not much else to say but we're getting even more and more closer to the end now. We're pretty close. As usual thanks to everyone reading this story and I hope you guys have been enjoying the story so far, and this chapter as well. Enjoy!**

* * *

It was now the next day in the morning. Pit however was already dressed up in his usual normal attire, as he was making his way to a location in Smash Tower.

"I wonder if anyone else will be there," Pit quietly said to himself as he made his way to the destination he intended to go. That invitation he read the previous night, had made him very confused and a bit concerned. He was soon in an elevator and which was now on its way to its destination. The doors eventually opened up, and he saw he was on the floor that led to the Smashing Theater. He made his way through, and was soon in the large theater once more, and saw all the other fighters who were part of this competition already there.

"Hey Chicken Wings! Thanks for making us wait! The Master wouldn't start till everyone of us was here!" Bowser yelled out looking a bit annoyed. "If you were working for me back in my world, and you were late, you would have been fired!"

"Sorry. That was my bad," Pit said with a cheeky smile, while Bowser grumbled under his breath and the other fighters all around had mixed reactions. "So I'm guessing you all got the same invitation yesterday right, like me and Bowser?"

"Yes. I am rather curious to see why we were all asked to be here," Rosalina pondered out loud.

"The Master better start talking! I got shopping to do for the holiday season coming up!" King Dedede whined, which Bowser nodded his head in agreement with.

"And talking I shall…" said a voice that loomed over the whole theater, that caused King Dedede to leap into the air in fright, before he crash landed on top of Bowser, causing Bowser to look really annoyed, and Dedede to feel sore, while anybody nearby just sighed at the sight.

"Why have you brought us all here?" Fox asked. "Seems rather out of the blue, all things considering."

"I'm glad you asked Mr. Mccloud. I have important information I needed to tell you all as soon as possible come up," The Master replied. "I am requesting that by December 27th, all of you are to go back to your respective worlds. None of you are to return to this world for battles in the current tournament till further notice. This information will also be passed down to everyone else from all your worlds who aren't fighters to return to their respective worlds as well,"

Upon hearing this, many fighters began to talk to one another, as discussion and speculation arose from what they just heard for all of them. Then all the silence stopped as a certain fighter decided to ask a question.

"So what's the big deal? You restructuring the place or something and need us all gone? Or is the fourth tournament over?" Falco asked.

"I have my reasons Mr. Lombardi. Reasons I personally wish to not disclose," The Master responded.

"Do those reasons involve a certain newcomer who's being tested by you?" Dark Pit called out, causing the fighters in the room to murmur among themselves. Had you been able to see The Master, he was expressing himself in a rather jovial way (especially since he didn't exactly have a face to show emotion considering what he actually was), and simply chuckled in amusement from what he heard.

"Maybe. Maybe not. But in the end that's not what matters. You're all dismissed," The Master said as his voice slowly faded away. Some fighters in the room slowly left the room heading about their own ways, while some remained as they wanted to discuss what they heard.

"So we all have to be out by December 27th this month huh…" Pit said out loud as he placed his right hand under his chin and went into a pondering position. "Hey Pittoo! What do you think of this?"

"I mean… it's not like we have a choice," Dark Pit said with a shrug, as the black winged angel walked to his counterpart. "I guess it's been a while since I've been back anyway. I'm sure Viridi has a list of things for me to do when I head back,"

"Same. I got duties to do too, being the captain of Lady Palutena's guard and all," Pit said back with a cheeky smile. "Though that means we better make the most out of the time we have this holiday season."

"So how do you plan to spend the holiday season then, Pit stain?" Dark Pit asked as Pit went into another thinking position. "Any plans yet?"

"Well… considering that this is the first year we have been hanging out with Minato and his friends, I think we should do something with them." Pit suggested.

"That's not a bad idea. Sure I be down with that," Dark Pit said in return as he smiled at the idea he just heard.

"Great!" Pit said with a fist bump into the air. "I was thinking we…"

* * *

The month of December continued on in general since then. Minato had kept up his training and during the course of the month had slowly faced off against the Investigation Team in general, to help him get ready for his showdown with The Master on December 30th that month.

Minato had decided to face off against every Investigation Team member besides Yu before facing off against him again. Yosuke proved to be a blowhard though still a formidable opponent. Chie and her Persona knew their way in physical combat, but still wasn't enough to take down SEES's leader. Yukiko had burning desire to win in her match, put up a good fight but Minato managed to put her flames out. Kanji proved to be a tough thundering nut to crack, but he too fell against Minato. Teddie tried to show Minato who was at the top of the food chain in terms of fighting but alas. Naoto proved to be a handful with all her different elemental attacks, but was bested ultimately.

Yu eventually faced off against Minato again, and the two proved that they were ultimately a very strong match for each other. Needless to say, regardless of who won that match, it proved to very valuable training experience for Minato regardless, as both proved to be very strong opponents. We now fast forward to December 20th as we see Minato in his room resting on his bed, as it was snowing outside. It was very early morning as Minato was sleeping in his bed, dressed in blue pajamas. Fuuka was beside him, resting in her teal pajamas as well, as both were resting rather peacefully at the moment. It was all going quietly till suddenly the sounds of someone banging on Minato's door could be heard.

"Huh… who could that be?" Fuuka said slowly as she awakened and yawned slowly while Minato looked a bit irritated from having to be awakened to such a sound.

"I'll go see who it is." Minato said with a hint of annoyance in his voice, as he slowly got out of the bed, and put on some blue slippers and walked to the door. As he approached it, he heard the knocking get louder and louder as he approached. He slowly opened the door, and luckily he moved his head out of the way as he saw Pit still excitedly trying to hit the door with his right hand, despite now just hitting the air, as his eyes were closed and being a bit oblivious. "Hey Pit. Up to your usual antics?"

Pit slowly opened his eyes as he realized what he was doing, and using his open left hand, grabbed his right hand to make it stop knocking. Pit sheepishly smiled, while Minato just sighed, and then slowly smiled as he knew the angel was usually being goofy in some way.

"Hey Minato! Sorry to be waking you up so early. But I really wanted to speak to you and Fuuka!" Pit said excitedly. Before Minato could say anything else Pit continued to speak. "But I want to talk to you two over breakfast over it! See you at the cafeteria!"

With that said, Pit hurried out of the area, while Minato just sighed once more, feeling a bit annoyed, while Fuuka was rubbing her eyes from what she just heard, and to help herself wake up.

"That's Pit for you. Being active and cheerful as usual," Fuuka said while Minato just shrugged in response. Fuuka left for her room, and soon both freshened up and dressed in their usual attire as they headed to the cafeteria to meet with him. When they arrived, they saw Pit was sitting at one of the empty tables and he was having some waffles with syrup and a cup of milk, as he happily munched away. The cafeteria was generally empty as most people were still in their rooms still sleeping, with some exceptions as some fighters were early birds or were really hungry and wanted to get breakfast this early. Both Minato and Fuuka took a seat across from the angel. Pit swallowed the cereal in his mouth, as he smiled and decided to speak.

"Glad you two could make it! Get some breakfast as well if you want, while you two are here," Pit said happily.

"Sure but first, what is it that you wanted to speak to both of us about?" Fuuka asked, as she was curious. Pit just had a really big grin on his face.

"Why don't all of us, and when I say all of us, I mean all the SEES members and some of us fighters hang out all day on Christmas Eve?" Pit suggested.

"Really? I figure you guys, and the other fighters in general would head back to your own home world to celebrate Christmas and all," Minato replied back curiously.

"Well I did say some fighters. As well as anyone who's an Assist Trophy as well. Most are heading back. I can't blame them since everyone has others back in their own world, they can celebrate with," Pit explained. "But I managed to ask some others to stay and hang with you guys for Christmas Eve. It'll be fun and we'll spend the whole day doing fun stuff!"

"That sounds very appealing. That's a great idea," Fuuka said in response.

"Sure why not? Let's do it then. Let's all hang out on December 24th, later this month," Minato said in response causing Pit to cheer wildly.

"**YEAH! ALRIGHT! WOOHOO!**" Pit yelled with excitement. Comically as if it was out of nowhere, a bowl of cereal hit Pit right in the face, as milk started to drip down his face awkwardly. Both Minato and Fuuka turned around and saw Bowser wearing orange pajamas, orange slippers, and an orange nightcap as he was sitting at another table with a plate of eggs, sausage, bacon, and hash browns in front of on the table, with a metal fork in his right hand.

"Quit the loud noise, Chicken Wings! I want to eat my breakfast in peace and quiet!" Bowser yelled out irritated, as he began to stuff his face with his protein and carbs heavy breakfast. Pit removed the cereal bowl over his face as he awkwardly blinked back at Bowser with milk still all over his face, as he was still comprehending the fact that actually happened to him, while Minato and Fuuka simply looked at each other and simply sighed. Pit took a nearby napkin and wiped off the milk off his face, as he decided to speak more.

"Ignoring the extra calcium I just got on my face, let's meet at Central Park on that day during the afternoon. We'll have a great day," Pit said with a big smile, while both Minato and Fuuka smiled in response.

* * *

Time had passed and it was now December 24th in the afternoon. The SEES members were all dressed up in their Winter clothes as they were walking to Central Park. It was snowing lightly at the moment, as the ground was covered in snow all over, and the skies were gray.

"Man. This place looks awesome and fun to mess around, in the Winter," Junpei said as a cool breath of air escaped from his mouth. "Be awesome for a snowball fight,"

"It's pretty beautiful to look at as well," Yukari commented. "New York in general during this Winter has been pretty in general,"

"This city in general has been pretty interesting to say the least," Akihiko pointed out.

"When we're back in our reality, maybe we should all take a vacation at New York when we're all free," Mitsuru said with a smile.

"Tch. Enjoy it without me guys," Shinjiro muttered with a smug smile.

"What are you talking … oh right. Awkward," Ken said, quickly realizing what Shinjiro meant. "Anyway, I wonder who we will run into today?"

"I hope Mega Man and Rob are there. They're like siblings to me," Aigis stated happily. Koromaru began to bark as Aigis translated for him. "And Koromaru wishes to see Doggie and Ducky."

"Well we should be seeing them soon," Fuuka said, as she was definitely looking forward to this day.

"And that soon being right now," Minato said with a smirk. In the distance some familiar faces were seen. Pit and Dark Pit were together all in Winter related attire as Pit was wearing a white sweater, and white Winter hat. Dark Pit as usual was wearing black versions of what Pit wore for his own self.

Rosalina along with Palutena were standing by each other and conversing. Palutena was wearing a light green sweater with a yellow scarf wrapped around her neck, while Rosalina was wearing a red Christmas styled sweater with a purple scarf.

Nearby then were Isabelle, Starfy, and Dillon. Dillon was still wearing his usual cowboy get up, but now had a red winter scarf around his neck. Otherwise the cold didn't really seem to bother the cowboy armadillo. Isabelle was wearing a yellow sweater suit for the Winter, and Starfy was wearing a cute red Santa hat.

Other fighters were also present as well. Little Mac, Ms. Fit were conversing with each other of various topics. Little Mac was wearing his pink jogging suit, and thankfully was wearing thermals underneath or he would have felt pretty cold while Ms. Fit wore a light blue jogging suit, with layers of clothes underneath, and a green scarf wrapped around her neck which was the same shade of green that Little Mac usually wore on his regular boxing gloves. Shulk was present too as he was wearing a green Winter vest over a red turtleneck, had black Winter pants, boots, and Winter cap on his head.

Mega Man and Rob were both present. Mega Man wasn't wearing his usual blue armor, and was decked in more traditional clothing, like brown Winter pants, brown sneakers, and brown sweater, with a light blue cap. Rob was simply wearing a red Santa hat over his head.

Marth, Lucina, and Ike were gathered together, each wearing a blue Winter coat of a different shade. Marth, Lucina, and Ike each wore a Winter blue cap as well, to cover their blue hair. and talking about miscellaneous things.

The animal duo of Duck Hunt were preset (though the duck Ducky looked irritated considering it was Winter time). Doggie was wearing one of those dog suits (it was a purple one) you see some pets wear to keep more warm, and Ducky was wearing a red Santa hat, as the duck sat on top of Doggie.

King Dedede was nearby with Bowser, and Bowser's youngest child Junior was with him. King Dedede was wearing his usual attire though now with a purple scarf around his neck, while Bowser was wearing a brown cap on his head and a red scarf around his neck, and Junior was wearing an orange cap around his head, and an orange scarf around his head. Both King Dedede and Bowser were seen holding fishing rods and bait boxes, as it looked like they were prepared to go fishing, or ice fishing at the very least considering the weather at the moment.

"You guys made it!" Pit said cheerily as he walked up to the SEES members. "Great to see you all here. Now let's all hang out and do stuff!"

"Do stuff like what?" Minato asked. Pit just smirked as he began to roll up snow from the ground and see where this was going. "Oh I see."

"Take this!" Pit yelled as he managed to make a snowball and throw it towards Minato. Minato just moved his head slightly to the right, as it moved past his head, and hit Junpei square in the face.

"Hey!" Junpei whined. Pit began to laugh, till two snowballs landed on his head from behind He turned around and saw Bowser Jr. with a mischievous grin, and Dark Pit with a confident smirk, as they both held snowballs. Pit then turned back to the SEES members.

"Basically let's all just hang out and do stuff here. There's also a couple of food trucks nearby selling hot food and drinks like hot cocoa if you guys want to get something to eat or drink. Anyway, let's start!" Pit said in excitement.

"Actually, I'm not really in the mood to get snow all over me, but I am in the mood to get a hot chocolate. Do you want to get one with me, right now?" Minato suggested. Pit stopped to think about it, and then nodded to Minato. Minato and Pit walked off to get a hot chocolate, while everybody else started to form into small groups to mingle with, either to catch up and talk, or to start playing around in some way.

"Have fun Junior." Bowser said to his youngest son, as he and Dedede began to walk away from everyone else. "All the rest of you punks better not bother us kings while we go ice fishing!"

"Trust me, we rather not," Shulk said, while Bowser rolled his eyes at the comment he just heard.

"I wonder if there's any fish even left to fish?" Dedede pondered, as both kings kept walking away. "Well I hope we can catch some. I can go for some fried fish tonight for dinner!"

"That guy is always thinking about food," Shinjiro said, as Akihiko could only shrug in response. Thus they all started to do various things in general. Whether it be chatting up a storm, get caught up in a middle of a snowstorm, go ice skating, going sleighing on the snow, making or snow creations in general, and for two big mischievous kinds, trying to catch some fish at a frozen lake. Minato and Pit were now sitting on a bench nearby, each holding a large cup watching all of this happen.

"This is nice, isn't it Minato?" Pit said. Minato nodded, while Pit smiled after taking a swig of hot chocolate. "All of us just having fun, relaxing, and just enjoying ourselves in general. I'm really glad I got to be a part of this tournament. I wouldn't have met everyone else if I haven't"

Pit then sighed as his face scrunched up. Minato could tell this conversation was going to become more serious.

"That's why… I guess a while back… when I reacted and all to what you told me, it really cut deep. Keep in mind I'm not blaming you. That was my bad for reacting the way I did," Pit said seriously, but not sounding glum as he did in past talks about this subject.

"Pit. I don't blame you for the way you reacted though," Minato said. "I mean… losing anyone close to you isn't an easy thing in general."

"Thanks Minato. I appreciate hearing that from you. You and your companions have been good friends to me and the others. I know you have your reasons for not wanting to be a part of this tournament. And thinking about it more… I can't blame you. Especially considering how the chairmen treated you and your friends," Pit responded. "I just… I guess it still hurts on my end. It's never easy to say good bye to someone you care about, isn't it?"

"No… no it isn't," Minato said as he took a swig of hot chocolate, as he could only imagine how those close to him must have felt, when he passed on, after their own eventful journey from their world.

"But at the same time… it's a part of life. Despite being an angel who's technically older than a lot of people here and in general, I still have a lot of growing up to do," Pit said. "I do want to say… and I won't force you to do whatever you choose, regardless of what happens… if you want to stay here then go for it."

"You would like me to stay huh?" Minato asked calmly. "It's alright to admit that Pit."

"You're right… and I do. But at the same time, you have to do what's best for yourself Minato. It be selfish of me, to want you to stay, and to force your decision for you," Pit explained. "I don't want you to feel pressured."

"I understand Pit. But for now… why don't we just enjoy the time we have here?" Minato suggested.

"Good suggestion. After this, myself and everyone else who didn't leave to head back for our own worlds soon. The Master's orders and all," Pit said back to him.

"Do you guys know why?" Minato said. Pit simply shrugged his shoulders, unsure of the reason exactly.

"Not really. Could be general maintenance for everything related to this tournament and Smash Corp in general. Maybe they're planning to switch to a new tournament or something? I can't say for sure," Pit replied. "Oh yeah. Before anything else, one more thing,"

"What is it Pit?" Minato asked curiously. Pit with his free hand not holding his hot chocolate, reached into his pants pocket. He pulled out what appeared to be mistletoe.

"Ms. Palutena wanted me to give this to you. She said you and Fuuka could make good use of it," Pit said a bit sheepishly, while Minato blushed from hearing that, as he accepted it from Pit. "Enjoy later! But anyway, let's enjoy the rest of today Minato,"

"Let's," Minato said with a smile, as both shook their hands on it, as the two friends finished their hot chocolate and got up to enjoy the day. It went on as everybody continued to hangout, play, or just socialize in general in some way. It was now the evening as the sun was starting to fall, and they all decided to head back to Smash Tower.

"What a great day! That was a lot of fun, wasn't it?" Isabelle said bubbly. Dillon just nodded while Starfy squealed in agreement, the duo of Duck Hunt, barked and quaked in agreement.

"Not really. I didn't catch any darn fish!" Bowser grumbled. "But if Junior had fun, then I guess I can accept it was alright,"

"I did papa!" Bowser Jr. said happily. Bowser smiled from hearing that, while Dedede rolled his eyes from that sight.

"Well at least we have that huge strawberry-"but before Dedede could finish speaking, Mega Man quickly talked to change the subject as he heard Dedede say something he wasn't supposed to, as the SEES members looked confused from hearing that.

"Anyway! We should really head back to Smash Tower. It's going to be even colder soon. Isn't that right Rob?" Mega Man said, while Rob beeped in agreement, as both Mega Man and Aigis understood what the other robot answered.

"Then let's head back to Smash Tower now," Ike suggested.

"I suggest all of us head back to the cafeteria. I could use a warm meal indoors after all this," Marth added.

"Great idea. But not before changing into warmer attire back in our respective rooms," Lucina added.

"I'm down with that," Little Mac said excitedly. "Today was fun, but I really want to get someplace warmer,"

"We'll see you all at the cafeteria, when everyone's done changing into warmer clothes," Palutena suggested.

"Do you want us all to have a dinner together?" Ken asked

"A holiday dinner, between friends would be very nice tonight," Rosalina said in a calm manner.

"Well then let's not delay." Dark Pit said, as Pit had a huge grin on his face. The huge group made their way back to Smash Tower and they all split up as everyone return to their respective rooms to freshen up and change into new clothing. We now the SEES members walking to the cafeteria, dressed in new school uniforms.

"King Dedede said something about strawberries, before he got interrupted by Mega Man," Aigis pointed out. Koromaru barked as Aigis translated for Aigis. "Koromaru wonders what he meant?"

"Whatever it is, sounds like King Dedede wasn't supposed to talk about it," Yukari pointed out.

"Well that guy's big mouth is more for just eating, that's for sure," Akihiko said. "Guy like to run his mouth off like Bowser sometimes,"

"I'm sure we'll find out soon enough what he meant," Mitsuru pointed out, as they were almost at the entrance to the cafeteria in Smash Tower. They opened the doors in, and was greeted by a spectacular sight. The whole cafeteria had Christmas decorations all around, with tinsels, bells, and many other things on the walls and ceiling. Like a huge Christmas tree with many ornaments and tinsel all around.

In the center was a huge long table with many food you would have for a Christmas feast. Roast goose, mince pies, mashed potatoes, Christmas pudding, various drinks of all kinds on the table and so on. The most noticeable thing was a giant huge green present box, wrapped red ribbons with a red bow on top that was behind everyone who was at the hangout, earlier today.

"**MERRY CHRISTMAS!**" they all yelled out. "**AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!**"

"Wow! This is awesome!" Junpei exclaimed static from the sight.

"I bet you're all wondering what's in the giant present?" Pit said with enthusiasm.

"Something strawberry related?" Minato said, causing Fuuka to giggle, as Pit sheepishly smiled, while Dedede looked embarrassed.

"Well yeah. All of us here helped chipped in to have this cake made, for you guys as our Christmas gift. I'll open it up right now and show you guys!" Pit said excitedly. He leaped to the top of the giant box. With a couple of strong tugs, he managed to pull off the ribbon bow on top, as the present opened itself up. Inside was a huge circular pink cake with the Smash symbol design with whip cream on top and strawberries surrounding the outer edge of the top of the cake. "**TA DA!** Strawberry Shortcake!"

"This is above and beyond a normal Christmas present. We're honored to have received it," Mitsuru said very cordially.

"No need to be so formal. We're happy for all of us to have given it to you guys," Dark Pit said calmly.

"We were going to originally have had a chocolate cake due to Doc Louis, but then he remembered to considered Koromaru, and our Duck Hunt duo as well," Little Mac suggested.

"So he ended up suggesting strawberry shortcake." Ms. Fit said. "Though after tonight in general, we're all going to need to work off a lot of calories but its fine to enjoy ourselves."

"Sounds like advice you need to take Aki," Shinjiro teased, as Akihiko looked annoyed at Shinjiro from hearing that. "Just teasing… mostly,"

"Thank you all so much," Fuuka said. "I feel bad… we don't have any gifts to any of you,"

"Nonsense. All of you being here is a great present as it is," Rosalina said calmly and warmly.

"But still… we would like to give you all something if we can," Minato added, as he felt it was awkward of them to not reciprocate the gift. Palutena went into a thinking position, and suddenly came up with an idea.

"I'll be right back!" Palutena exclaimed. She suddenly teleported away, confusing everyone else. She soon teleported back, holding a big instant camera and a tripod. "You guys can take a photo of yourselves!"

"A photo of ourselves?" Ken asked confused.

"Yeah. We can frame it and everything. Good for the memories and all," Palutena said. "Why don't you all guys group up and smile? I'll set it up,"

"Why not? Sounds like a fine idea," Minato said, with the rest of the SEES members agreeing. They all grouped together, as Minato, Fuuka, Junpei, Yukari, Ken and Koromaru stood in the front, while Akihiko, Mitsuru, Aigis, and Shinjiro stood behind them. Palutena was done setting up the instant camera and tripod.

"Smile!" Palutena said cheerily. The SEES members all smiled in some way, as a flash of light popped up from the instant camera. Soon a photo came out from the camera, and Palutena carefully picked it up and smiled at the result. "Good shot! I'm going to make copies and give everyone here and others one, just so we can all remember you guys,"

"Thanks Ms. Palutena. That's very nice of you," Fuuka said with a smile. Palutena just giggled herself softly in response.

"Think nothing of it. Now why don't we all start and enjoy dinner?" Palutena suggested.

"Yeah! Let's start dinner! I'm hungry!" Bowser Junior whined.

"You can say that again," King Dedede said in agreement, as his belly grumbled from waiting.

"Well you guys can help us finish that cake for dessert as well. No way can all of us can finish that huge cake," Minato suggested.

"I'll take you up on that offer, Minato," Bowser said with a smug sharp grin. "Now you guys sit down, and we'll sit down and we'll start eating!"

The feast began and needless to say it continued on till the night. Lots of food and drink was consumed and it was a merry time for them all as they enjoyed themselves. Due to being so many of them, they all easily made short work of all the food and drink, and even the cake soon after. It was a feast they wouldn't be forgetting anytime soon.

Later on way in the night, we see Minato and Fuuka in her room, dressed in their respective pajamas, both tucked into her bed, as the lights were off. They were about to call it a night, though both were still discussing things for a bit, before doing so.

"Another nice day, chalked to up to our time here," Minato said. "I'm glad we spent Christmas Eve with them,"

"Same Minato. It was really nice." Fuuka said. "Well we should now rest up and go to sleep before it gets too late,"

"Before we do so, I actually want to show you something," Minato suggested. "Pit gave me something that Palutena gave him, to show to you,

"What is it then?" Fuuka asked curiously.

"Close your eyes and you open them when I tell you too," Minato said. Fuuka did as she was told, as she closed her eyes, as Minato pulled out the mistletoe he was given from Pit, earlier in that day. "You can open them now,"

Fuuka opened them as she saw the mistletoe that Minato held in one of his hands above their heads. She blushed immensely, and slowly but sure, both of them leaned their heads in for a kiss, as they soon fell to sleep afterwards. This was a holiday, they wouldn't want to forget.

**To Be Continued…**

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**And thus another chapter is over. Notes as always.  
**

**1\. Mistletoe is a plant that is commonly used during the holiday season for moments like that. It has a lot of beliefs to it, tied to life, fertility, and even mythology for various reasons. **

**Not much else for me to say this time. Another chapter done, another step closer to the end. I hope you're all enjoying this story so far. If you have anything you wish to criticize, point out, or say in general, don't be afraid to do so. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and till next time!**


	51. Prelude to the Final Battle

**Chapter 51 at last! We are now extremely close as the next chapter after this is... well just read on and you'll see by the end. Before moving any further I want to address some reviews before moving on.**

**No they didn't do anything of that sort, Dash Master 48, at least in that chapter. CG-Dreamland I like to say thanks and I'm glad you and everyone else have been reading this story so far. To Masterx01, in retrospect I could have handled certain things better I won't deny, and it is something I have definitely noted for the future. Thank you for pointing it out. **

**So that's it for now. Admittedly this isn't the most exciting chapter but I feel it's an important one for a certain reason, as it serves as a prelude to the next which is extremely significant as the next chapter is finally... well again just read on. As usual thanks to everyone who has been reading this story so far, and I hope you all enjoy this chapter as well. Enjoy!**

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It was now past Christmas as it was now the day after. The weather outside in New York in general was still cold and snowy, as the skies still had snow falling. Whether it be falling lightly or heavily, the sky still had snow falling. It was another cold Winter day in the month of December, in the year of 2015. We now see all the SEES members in the conference room on their floor, sitting in their respective chairs. They were prepared to say goodbye to some people, as The Master wanted all the fighters, and everyone that was from another world in general, that was already part of the tournament in some way, out of this world where they all participated in the Smash Bros Tournament.

"Soon Smash Tower is going to get a lot emptier," Junpei commented as he sighed.

"Yeah. It'll just be the employees who work here and us," Yukari commented.

"Us and the Investigation Team, as well as Elizabeth, Theodore, and Marie as well though those guys aren't living in this tower technically. But they're still here in this world and all," Akihiko added.

"I bet those elite Mii Fighters are still sticking around though. Those three and all the Mii Fighters under them," Shinjiro added as well.

"A corporation like Smash Corp and a place like Smash Tower still needs maintenance and workers in general," Aigis stated. Koromaru barked as Aigis translated for the Shiba Inu "It is what it is, according to Koromaru,"

"Well The Master wants all the fighters and everyone not of this world, back in their respective universes," Mitsuru pointed out.

"And then in a couple of days comes… Minato's big showdown with The Master finally," Ken said quietly.

"Minato can take that down that guy. I know he can," Shinjiro said with a smirk with everyone else nodding in agreement. Before anyone else can say anything, the door to their conference room began to knock. Fuuka got up and walked to the door. She opened it, and saw many familiar faces, all of which were from the hangout the other day. Pit, Dark Pit, Palutena and so on.

"Hey guys!" Pit shouted enthusiastically.

"We all came to say good byes before we headed back to our respective worlds." Dark Pit said.

"I hope you're all well," Palutena said warmly.

"We can't stay for too long since The Master wants us all to head back before tomorrow, so let's make this snappy," King Dedede whined. Bowser nodded his head in agreement, while everyone else from their group just sighed from the rude remark they heard.

"If that's the case, I'll go first," Ike said. Ike walked over to Minato and gave him a firm handshake. "Thank you for the hospitality, Minato. Been a pleasure to meet you."

"Same to you Ike. Good luck with the mercenary work back in your own world," Minato said as Ike smiled back at him. Ike then went around saying good bye to the other SEES members and when he went to Junpei, and said some very encouraging words.

"Damn any doubts you have and believe in the path you've chosen," Ike said with a big smile. Junpei nodded back, as he both were going to miss all the times they've done the Home Run Contest together and in general.

"Same to you dude," Junpei said, as he gave Ike a hug, who returned it. The next one to walk up was Little Mac.

"Minato, whatever happens, just remember this. You got heart. That's what it takes to be a champ." Little Mac said as both him and Minato did a very firm handshake. "A quote Doc Louis told me, I figure would be good for you considering you're going up against The Master. Best of luck,"

"Same to you Mac. Let Doc Louis know I appreciate the chocolate and for him being a good person in general as well" Minato said, as both smirked back towards each other, with Little Mac nodding back as well. Little Mac then went to the other SEES members and said his good byes and then finally approached Akihiko.

"Hey Akihiko. Keep on working hard. But knowing you, I know you will," as Akihiko smirked back at Litle Mac from what he heard.

"Believe me. I will. I'm also going to be going with chocolate flavored protein bars and protein shakes from now on," as Little Mac could only smile sheepishly from hearing that, as both smirked. "You keep training yourself Mac, and tell Doc I also appreciate all the times we've been together. Plus the chocolate bars and cake and all,"

"Definitely," Little Mac said as the two did a tight firm handshake as well. Little Mac then went back to standing with the others, as Lucina walked up to Minato as she had some things she wanted to say.

"Just know, we're all behind you, whatever happens. Challenging fate and all," Lucina said, as Minato smirked back at her, hearing her words as they both shook hands. Lucina then went around saying good byes and then went to Mitsuru.

"Never let hope die, with what you and your group do, whatever it is," Lucina said, as Mitsuru nodded back in response.

"I appreciate it Lucina," Mitsuru acknowledged back respectfully, as the two shook hands. When she finished, Marth went over to Minato telling him words of his own.

"I'm sword to your side Minato. Just know that, even if I'm not there physically," Marth said as both blue haired guys shook hands and nodded to each other very respectfully. Marth said his good byes to the others as well. When he was done saying his goodbyes both Rob and Mega Man approached Minato. Rob made a bunch of beeping sounds that both Mega Man and Aigis understood.

"Rob says that no matter what happens, he'll always be your "Robotic Operating Buddy," for you," Mega Man said, which Minato could only smile too. "As for myself, I can definitely say the same. Best of luck Minato,"

"Same to you buddy," Minato said which Mega Man could only grin sheepishly happily in response from that, as both did a friendly handshake. The two robots went around and said their good byes to the others as well. When they approached Aigis, Rob made a lot of beeping sounds that Aigis laughed in reaction too.

"That's a moment I won't be forgetting Rob," as Aigis smiled back as both Aigis and Rob nodded towards each other respectfully. She then turned to focus on Mega Man. "Continue on being the blue hero you are, little brother,"

"Thanks big sis Aigis!" Mega Man said, as the two over the course of the time in year, had treated each other as if they were family. "Best of luck to you being a good robot in the future as well,"

"I will," Aigis said, as they both gave each other a hug. The two then walked back to the others. Doggie and Ducky, which were the dog and duck duo of Duck Hunt went up to Minato, as both barked and quacked towards the boy peacefully. Aigis listened as she translated for the two animals. "They wish you the best and said to always aim for the highest score in life if you want too,"

"Interesting words, but words I appreciate nonetheless," as Minato kneeled down to pet Doggie who cooed happily in return. Then he gently petted Ducky on the top of the duck's head who quacked happily back. The two animals then went around, barking and quacking and respectfully as they went around, and got petted in return. When the two animals went to Koromaru, Koromaru whined at the two, and the other two whined back in a sad manner as well. Then both Doggie and Ducky barked and quaked back at Koromaru in an energetic manner, which caused Koromaru to bark back more happily.

"Doggie and Ducky will both miss Koromaru, and Koromaru will miss them as well. They both then said, they'll always think of the other, and Koromaru agreed." Aigis stated, as the three animals were back to being happy. The duo of Duck Hunt went back to the others as Bowser Jr. walked towards Minato.

"You better beat The Master! If you don't, I'm going to prank you every day till I get bored, in the future!" Bowser Jr. warned, as this caused Minato to just smirk in response.

"Don't worry. I've seen your handiwork when it comes to pranks. I'm prepared to avoid that at all costs," Minato responded in a playful manner, as Minato kneeled down, as he and Bowser Jr. gave each other a fist bump. Bowser Jr. went around giving the others fist bumps and words as well, and when he went to Ken, said some peculiar words as well. "Hey Ken! Remember this! Don't stink!"

"Hey! I definitely don't!" Ken said back. "But I definitely won't for the future as well. Thanks Junior,"

Bowser Jr. simply nodded back, as he did a fist bump with Ken, before he walked back to the others. King Dedede quickly walked up to Minato.

"Hmph! You're good kid, so keep it up! If you beat me, who by the way, is the best fighter here… in my opinion at least! Then you can definitely beat The Master, so you better win your match against him, or I'll think you're a chump forever!" King Dedede proclaimed as Minato just smirked back.

"Definitely noted." Minato said as he shook hands with the king. King Dedede walked to the others and shook hands with them and stopped at Shinjiro.

"You make good grub kid. Keep at it with the cooking. Also you're decent at wielding hammers too. But more importantly, keep the good grub and cooking up!" King Dedede said as Shinjiro just rolled his eyes at the talk of food, and nodded back, as they both shook hands. He went back to standing with the others.

"We kind of wanted to go last, so if anyone wants to go next and say whatever they wanted to say," Pit explained for himself, Dark Pit and Palutema.

"HEY! I wanted to have the last goodbyes!" Bowser shouted annoyed while Pit and Palutena shrugged, while Dark Pit just sighed from what he heard.

"I'll come say my good byes then if that's the case next," Shulk said, as he walked up to the SEES members and gave them all his good byes and then went to Minato last. "Just remember mate. The future is yours to decide. Never forget that,"

"I know Shulk. Thanks for the reminder," Minato answered, as he gave Shulk a firm handshake in response. Next came up Ms. Fit as she said her good byes to everyone else as well. When she reached Minato, said some things as well.

"Have a good night's sleep before that battle with The Master coming up. Make sure to stretch and be prepared. Otherwise I think you're good to go," Ms. Fit said with enthusiasm.

"Trust me, I'm going to get a good night's sleep that night and stretch. Appreciate the advice still," Minato said as he shook hands with the very pale skinned fitness trainer. Next came Rosalina who said her good byes to the others as well, and the came to Minato with her own words of wisdom.

"May the stars shine down on you Minato, wherever you are," Rosalina said very gently, as Minato nodded back to her.

"Thanks Rosalina. I'm sure they will, everywhere," Minato responded back seriously, as he gently shook her hands, and she did the same. Dillon, Starfy, and Isabelle approached everyone as they said their good byes (for Dillon's case a friendly handshake, and for Starfy squeals of wishing the best). When they approached Minato, they said their goodbyes as well. Starfy leaped to Minato's arms and hugged the blue haired boy, and he did the same back. He then placed the starfish like creature down on the floor gently. Dillon simply smirked for Minato and gave him a thumbs up, and Minato did so back in kind.

"Remember Minato, you're not alone! Especially with a very good assistant!" Isabelle said, as this caused both Minato and Fuuka to smile, as Isabelle shook Minato's hand in a very friendly and enthusiastic manner. This prompted others to add onto this.

"She's your Doc Louis Minato. And without Doc Louis I would have never have made it to where I have," Little Mac added. "Keep being his Doc Louis Fuuka!"

"I have a friend that's just like that. Ready to help and support with tactics for the Greil Mercenaries," Ike said. "You're a good support Ms. Yamagishi. Continue being that for him."

"No victory is truly one achieved alone as well have some form of help or support along the way," Marth said. "You be a good tactician Ms. Yamagishi,"

"You rock Fuuka!" Lucina said excitedly, causing Fuuka to blush from the attention she was getting. Rob began to make beeping sounds as Mega Man listened and then relayed his thoughts.

"The times you helped tinker on us when we could use a check were nice Rob said. I definitely agree as my Father would definitely be impressed by you," Mega Man said as he referred to Dr. Light. "We also appreciate you for being such a nice person in general,"

Both Doggie and Duck barked and quacked once more, this time towards Fuuka as she listened, understanding that they were saying nice things as well. Bowser Jr. went next.

"I love your cookies! I want more!" Bowser Jr. whined.

"Heh. Good taste kid," King Dedede added, complimenting Bowser Jr.'s taste. "You're baking skills are pretty solid little lady. You keep at the baking for yourself when you got the time. And yeah you're definitely decent backup for your boyfriend and all. But seriously, make sure your baking skills are kept up and bake more sweets!"

"You're Minato's oracle Fuuka, and a very good one," Shulk complimented.

"And in a way, kind of his personal trainer." Ms. Fit added playfully.

"Your acts of support to Minato, are acknowledged from all the stars Fuuka. Know that," Rosalina said very gently. Starfy walked over to Fuuka and leaped into her arms, and she smiled greatly as she hugged the little guy who squealed happily. Just like Minato, she placed him down gently as Dillon smirked towards her and gave her a thumbs up, and she returned the favor.

"Fuuka, you and Minato be safe, alright?" Isabelle asked.

"I will Isabelle. Thanks for being a good friend for me through this time here," Fuuka said back warmly, as both girls shook hand and beamed. A loud clearing of the throat could be heard as everyone looked towards Bowser.

"Gah! I can't wait any longer! I want to say my piece now! Forget being last!" Bowser shouted out. He walked over to both Minato and Fuuka. "You two punks better beat The Master! Or I'm back to being jerks to both of you and your pals in the future, you hear me!?"

"We hear you," both Minato and Fuuka said playfully back as Bowser just smirked his sharp teeth back in response.

"You better! With that said, good bye to you two and your pals for the time being! I got to get back home, and get ready for my next evil scheme. This time Peach will marry me!" Bowser boasted as everyone else in the room besides Junior, just rolled their eyes at what they just heard, as they were all pretty sure Mario was going to stop this new evil scheme, whatever it was. "Anyways, I'm done."

"Good, because that was terrible," Dark Pit remarked with a smirk, while Bowser grumbled under his breath about the dark angel being more annoying than his goody two shoes counterpart sometimes. Dark Pit walked up to Minato to have his turn.

"Minato… keep doing what you're doing. Best of luck," Dark Pit said seriously as he smirked towards the blue haired teen.

"Thanks Dark Pit. I definitely will," Minato said. Dark Pit appreciated hearing that, as he then turned to Fuuka.

"Fuuka, you keep doing what you're doing as well. Never let anyone hold you back, alright?" Dark Pit said gently.

"I will. Thank you Dark Pit," Fuuka said back gently. Dark Pit smiled back from what he heard. He then made his rounds to the others, and stopped at Yukari.

"Like everyone else, just keep doing what you got to do. I'm going to miss our target practice with breaking the targets. You make a way less annoying partner compared to Pit," Dark Pit said,

"**HEY!**" Pit yelled annoyed, while Bowser and King Dedede laughed hard at what they heard,

"Thanks for the words. Though I can tell you probably should have worded that better," Yukari said back, while Dark Pit just grinned with a big smirk.

"Well I like making Pit annoyed. His reactions are very entertaining sometimes like just right now and all," Dark Pit replied.

"Thanks a lot Pittoo," Pit replied annoyed. Palutena simply shrugged at the scene, and decided to go next. She walked up to Minato and said her words.

"Show The Master whose boss! Considering the stuff you managed in your own world, I say you're pretty set all things considered!" Palutena praised with over the top enthusiasm, as she did various poses to show off her enthusiasm. Some of the others in the room just sighed, as they knew Palutena could sometimes be really silly if she felt like it.

"That confident in me huh?" Minato said with a chuckle as Palutena smirked back in response as both did a firm handshake. Palutena then turned to face Fuuka.

"Fuuka, you keep being his support. Like how I help Pit in our world, you keep helping Minato out, whatever the case," Palutena said to her. "And keep being yourself in general as well,"

"Thank you Ms. Palutena. I really appreciate that," Fuuka said, as she and Palutena gave each other a friendly warm hug with big smiles on both their faces. When they were done, Palutena went to say her good byes to the others. Finally Pit took his turn. He went to the other SEES members and said his good byes towards them. He then turned to both Minato and Fuuka as he wanted to speak to both at the same time.

"Minato… Fuuka… just know that no matter whatever ends up happening, I'm so happy to have met you two and everyone else," Pit said seriously with a smile on his face. "Whatever happens, just know that I want the best for you two and everyone else."

"I can say the same Pit. I'm glad I met a person like yourself here," Minato said as he approached Pit for a handshake. Pit however just ended up tackling him with a huge hug, which surprised Minato a bit at first, but he smiled as he gladly hugged Pit back. When they stopped hugging, Pit went to Fuuka, and she was ready to hug Pit back who gladly hugged her back.

"Keep being yourself Pit. You're a very good angel," Fuuka said back gently, causing Pit to really smile. They then separated, and Pit turned face and was about to walk back to the others who said their words till he suddenly stopped. Both Minato and Fuuka looked curiously at Pit as he was looking away at them, and now looking at the floor. He suddenly turned around with tears on his face, as he suddenly pulled both of them into a group hug.

"**I'M GOING TO MISS YOU GUYS!**" Pit cried out with emotion, as he sniffled as well. Both Minato and Fuuka frowned seeing Pit, like this, as they hugged him back.

"It's going to be okay Pit," Fuuka whispered to Pit, as she and Minato hugged the angel back. Pit's frown eventually changed back to a smile, as tears were still strung from his eyes, down his face.

"I'll miss you too buddy." Minato whispered to him, as they kept their group hug going for as long as they could before Pit eventually broke away from Minato and Fuuka, as he felt better now.

"Good luck in beating The Master! Show him whose boss!" Pit exclaimed in excitement. He walked back to the others and looked back at them one final time. "Be well guys,"

With that said, all the fighters and everyone else that wasn't part of SEES slowly began to leave the room, till they were all gone. As soon as they all left, the SEES members were left as a sense of inevitability hit them all. This was really the last time they would be seeing any of the people they have come to have known from this world, over this past year. It was truly nearing the endgame for this current year and journey for them all.

* * *

It was now the next day as it was now December 27th. Just as The Master had wanted, Smash Tower had become more vacant than and as expected as all the fighters and everyone else from said worlds had returned. The SEES members were currently not in the tower as they were at Langham Place, to see the Investigation Team, as well as Elizabeth, Theodore and Marie, as the huge group were in the makeshift Velvet Room talking as this really was it, and felt like they should see each other, while they can.

"I can't believe it. In three more days, Minato-san is going to be going up against The Master," Yosuke said. "Time sure does fly,"

"Man Minato! I hope all that time whooping our butts was good training for you," Teddie said in a humorous way, while the other Investigation Team members gave mixed looks at the blonde haired boy for saying that, while Marie couldn't help but laugh at what she heard.

"Thanks Teddie, for bringing that up," Rise said a bit annoyed while Teddie just sheepishly smiled.

"You guys are good fighters, don't worry about it," Minato said to reassure them all. "I was glad to have trained against all you, during this month,"

"Oh we don't mind that. I mind Teddie making us look worse," Rise said. "But you're a great fighter Minato. And Fuuka is a great navigator for you as well. You two great"

"We appreciate the thought," Naoto said calmly, adding onto what Rise said. "We were happy to be of assistance,"

"And we all thank your group for helping Minato and all of us in general, as always," Fuuka said back warmly. "And thank you Rise, and everyone else,"

"Of course. We're all friends to the end!" Chie exclaimed excitedly.

"Yeah. Memory of this adventure or not, we've all always helped each other out in the past," Yukiko added out.

"Indeed. You all are great allies and companions," Mitsuru stated.

"Don't forget about me, as well as Elizabeth and Theodore!" Marie pointed out.

"Well we are always happy to assist in whatever ways we can," Theodore added.

"You guys were a great help as well. Thanks for messing with the chairmen's dinner that one night earlier this year," Junpei said with a big smirk.

"Well as they say, those eight gentlemen were only receiving their just desserts," Elizabeth mused in a humored manner.

"They did get their just desserts. And I'm glad they got a taste of their own mean medicine when they did get their just desserts," Yukari pointed out. "Never want to deal with those eight in the future,"

"Don't worry. Minato is going to show The Master up later this month and we'll never have to deal with those eight chairmen ever again… maybe," Akihiko stated.

"And those three elite Mii Fighter jerks," Ken pointed out. Koromaru growled at the mention about hearing about those three, as the SEES members still had a bad memory of that incident that happened in September. "That aside, it is almost time for Minato's fight against The Master."

"He's going to do well." Yosuke said calmly. "From everything I know and he's been through, I'm sure he can take The Master,"

"Well Minato here is just like Yu-sempai! He's going to rock The Master soon, and show him who the real boss is!" Kanji exclaimed.

"Good to see your fan club is still doing well Minato," Shinjiro said bluntly, as everyone else just either smiled or smirked from hearing that.

"Can I get a fan club?" Teddie asked with a big grin on his face.

"You are already the mascot of your local Junes in Inaba as my database states. I think that is sufficient enough," Aigis replied, causing Teddie to whine.

"In any case, it's good that Minato has a lot of support." Yu pointed out. "We'll all be supporting you from the sidelines Minato. Best of luck against The Master,"

"The end of another journey draws near my guest. Just know that we all have the most utmost confidence and faith in you," Elzabeth pointed out.

Minato nodded to Yu and then at Elizabeth. Everyone seemed to be in high spirits which was good, as time kept passing. It would soon be that showdown. Suddenly someone's stomach was heard, awkwardly rumbling. Everyone's heads turned towards the source and it was Junpei who placed his arms behind his head and sheepishly grinned.

"I'm kind of hungry at the moment. Hey! Why don't we all get lunch and dinner today?" Junpei suggested. "Let's try to keep up the good memories even more, while we still got the time here in this world,"

"Heck yeah! High five!" Yosuke shouted out in agreement, as he went over to Junpei, as both ended up giving each other a high five.

"Man I'm going to miss all the food in New York," Chie whined. "So much more variety compared to Inaba. Like New York styled steak or New York styled cheesecake!"

"I wonder what makes something New York styled? Is it just being made in New York?" Teddie pondered out loud. "But regardless, I want to get lunch too!"

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's all head out and get lunch!" Marie shouted out. They all agreed and decided to head out. Time was spent and passed as both SEES, the Investigation Team, and three Velvet Room assistants made the most out of the remaining time left before Minato's showdown with The Master. They wanted to enjoy the time they had before that big moment.

* * *

It was now December 29th and it was the final day before Minato would face off against The Master. It was currently the evening as it would soon enter night properly, as the SEES members were all in their conference room, as they decided to have one last meeting.

"Alright Minato. It's do or die time tomorrow." Junpei said with mixed emotions. Junpei felt his stomach churn, as he felt more nervous.

"He's not going to die Junpei! He's just fighting The Master," Yukari pointed out, though she herself felt pretty nervous as well. "Though I have to admit, that doesn't make me feel better,"

"The Master said he would make Minato an official fighter if he would defeat him Junpei-san," Aigis added. Koromaru barked, and Aigis nodded as she translated for the Shiba Inu as usual. "So Minato will not be perishing thankfully, if he is defeated by The Master,"

"But Minato-san is not going to be defeated!" Ken added. "He's a really strong and smart fighter who's fought a lot of tough opponents during his time here, and he can definitely beat The Master,"

"Don't forget all the Shadows and opponents Arisato has faced and defeated back in our world," Mitsuru pointed out. "I have complete faith in our leader for his match tomorrow,"

"He's also been training like crazy. I'm sure it'll all payoff tomorrow," Akihiko noted, as he also had faith in Minato to winning his match tomorrow.

"Hopefully," Shinjiro said bluntly, as he smirked for Minato. "After everything he's been thorough, I'm pretty sure Minato is ready to kick The Master's ass and can do so,"

"He will," Fuuka stated simply, as Minato turned towards her and smirked as she smiled back. Minato then looked to all the other members in the room as they all had confident expression on their faces, as they all felt the same way now, regardless if they felt it before or not.

"Thanks everyone. All of you… we've been through this second journey… and tomorrow's the endgame. Regardless of whatever ends up happening, I want you all to know, that I was glad to meet you all again and we all had this second journey together." Minato said with a smile on his face.

"Don't worry man. Like Shinjiro sempai said, you can kick The Master's ass once and for all!" Junpei said with a big grin on his face as he went up to Minato and gave him a big bro hug which he gladly accepted.

"Something I can agree with Junpei on," Yukari said with a big grin as well, as she joined the hug that Junpei started, as they both hugged Minato now.

"I also concur with that statement," Aigis added with a smile, as she joined the others in their group hugs. Koromaru barked happily, as the Shiba Inu went up to Minato's legs and began to nuzzle him

"I want to join in the group hug as well!" Ken said as he got off his chair in the room and went up to the others as well.

"Hey, don't count me out!" Akihiko said, as he got up as well and decided to join in the group hug.

"Myself as well," Mitsuru added as she repeated what everyone else who already got up was doing.

"Why the hell not?" Shinjiro said, as he got up and decided to join in. Fuuka herself got up, and joined in, s they all did a big group hug with Minato.

"All together again… just like old times," Fuuka whispered gently, as they all remained like this for a while. They wanted to make this last, considering tomorrow could go any way, from that final fight. Soon time passed as it was now night and we both see Minato and Fuuka changed into their sleeping clothes and were in his bedroom. The windows outside showed that it was snowing hard, as the month of December still proved cold as usual. Both were tucked in, within Minato's bed as they both stared at each other. A sense of finality once again lingered in the air, as the atmosphere was one of concern.

"This is really it. Tomorrow you fight The Master," Fuuka said softly, as Minato slowly nodded back to her. "I wonder what he actually looks like, now that I think about it?"

"After everything I've seen and been through, I don't think his appearance is what I should be worried about," Minato said gently back. "I'm sure that guy is going to put up a tough fight,"

"You and him… one on one in this final fight," Fuuka said gently, but in a way that showed she was really concerned. Minato noticed this as he looked more concerned for her. "Be careful Minato,"

"I know and thanks. And I know you and everyone else be there for me if it was permitted." Minato said gently back to her. "Don't worry. I know you and everyone else will be cheering for me."

Fuuka nodded back to him with a nod and smile. Silence filled the room as despite the words said, the air of uneasiness still didn't go away for them both. That fear of the unknown still lingered in the air. Fuuka decided to cut the air by saying something more.

"Minato… when you win… and I know you'll win, knowing you…" Fuuka said softly causing Minato to smile gently from hearing that. "I want whatever you decide to be ultimately your own choice. This is your choice... and this is your life so-"

Before Fuuka could continue, Minato placed a gentle kiss on her lips. Fuuka was surprised to be cut off like that, but soon deepened it as she closed her eyes. They soon separated and Minato nodded back to her, showing that he understood what she was going to say.

"Don't worry. I know." Minato said extremely gently. "Let's spend this last night not thinking about such things Fuuka. Let's spend it in each others arms as lovers since we became a couple,"

She nodded back, as they both slowly wrapped their arms around each other, as their eyes slowly closed, happily embracing each other one last night before The Master's showdown. The snow outside continued to fall, as the lights in their room went out, as they slowly drifted to a peaceful and loving sleep, within each others loving warm embrace. This was the last night before December 30th. The time before the final match that would determine the future for Minato, as the endgame has finally appeared.

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

**So how was it? Notes as usual.  
**

**1\. I wanted this chapter to be sort of a sendoff for the Smash Brothers characters sort of. Especially since what next chapter is and all. Be bad to jump straight to what's coming in the next chapter without any build up and all and forgetting everyone else.**

**So yes. Next chapter is finally the final battle! Minato vs Master Hand! What is going to happen? Who's going to come out on top? As usual, if anyone has anything they wish to say, go for it. Otherwise I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the story so far, and I thank everyone who's been reading it as well. Till the next chapter!**


	52. The Showdown

**So we are finally at the next chapter. What's going to happen? I guess we'll soon find out. Before moving on, I like to address the previous reviews as usual. **

**So yes, Minato and Master Hand are finally facing off, as you said xanatos. I wonder what will be the outcome? And yeah it is nearly over Dash master 48. But it still isn't yet, just to clarify. But nearly yes.**

**I want to say thanks to everyone who has been reading my story so far, and I hope you've all been enjoying it. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter, and with that said, let's begin. Enjoy!**

* * *

It was finally December 30th, 2015 and it was currently evening as this date was here at last. The weather outside wasn't snowing for once, thought the skies were covered in gray clouds so it wasn't a particularly bright day. The SEES members were all in their conference room as they were all awake and ready. Minato would soon take the elevator that would lead to the teleportation floor, where he would be sent to the arena, where he finally face off against The Master. They were having one last meeting as the SEES members each had advice they wanted to say to Minato before he headed off to fight The Master.

"We'll all be watching the fight in this room buddy and cheering you on!" Junpei said, as he pointed to a HDTV setup in the room.

"Yeah. We might not be with you physically, but we're still here for you Minato," Yukari said to add onto what Junpei said.

"I hope you stretched so you don't have to worry about having cramps or something during the fight," Akihiko reminded.

"Be prepared for everything and anything in this last fight Arisato," Mitsuru said as a reminder as well.

"I trust you will be victorious Minato-san," Aigis stated a smile, with Koromaru barking encouragement in agreement.

"Show him why you're our leader, Minato-san!" Ken cheered.

"Kick his ass, plain and simple," Shinjiro said with a smirk.

Fuuka turned toward Minato and simply nodded, as he nodded back to her, as that was enough to convey her thoughts to him. Minato then turned towards the door that led out of their conference room. Just as he was about to head towards it and open them, they were suddenly knocked on from the other side. Minato slowly approached the door, and slow opened it, as he saw who was on the other side. Many familiar faces who also brought their own stuff with them as well.

"We all figure we join you guys today!" Teddie said excitedly, as the blonde haired guy and the other Investigation Team members, along with Elizabeth, Theodore, and Marie slowly entered the room.

"We decided to give additional moral support here, along with the other members of SEES while you fought The Master," Naoto calmly explained. "We also brought our own Evokers and weapons, just for precautions, just to let you know in advance,"

"Better here with all of you, then back at the hotel we were staying at and all to cheer you on," Yukiko added.

"Show The Master why you were our leader!" Yosuke said, catching confused looks from the others. "And I mean leader during the labyrinths incident!"

"Nice save Yosuke," Chie said with a chuckle. "But yeah, go kick The Master's butt!"

"I bet he can't compare to the stuff you've already beat up, Minato-sempai!" Kanji proclaimed, also cheering for Minato.

"Well I don't know about that Kanji… the guy is called The Master for a reason," Rise pondered out loud. "But I definitely do agree with what everyone else has been saying. Go show him whose boss Minato!"

"Show that rude jerk up!" Marie shouted. "He never even showed what he looked like to any of us,"

"I wonder what The Master looks like…" Theodore pondered out loud. "Well regardless, I wish you the best in your soon to be battle with The Master, my sister's guest,"

"I have full faith in my guest to defeat him, regardless of his appearance Theo," Elizabeth said. "Show the one known as The Master your best performance!"

Minato smirked and smiled at the encouraging words, the others who entered the room spoke to him as he nodded back to them all, as he acknowledged everything he heard. The other SEES members left the room and got more chairs, for the Investigation Team and for Elizabeth, Theodore, and Marie to sit on, as they all were now seated. Minato began to walk out of the room but just as he was at the door, he stopped and then turned around towards the others.

"No matter what happens everyone…I'm glad to have been with you all again, throughout this whole experience. Thanks," Minato stated confidently and softly. They all looked back at the blue hired teen with either a smile or smirk, happy to hear that from him. "Time for me to end this,"

The doors to their room closed, as Minato left. He was now alone in the hallway, heading to the elevator. It was time for the showdown.

We now see the hallway leading up to the teleportation room with three individuals in front of the doors, guarding the entrance to it. It was the three elite Mii Fighters on guard duty as usual, this time for the room. The three were currently having a conversation.

"I was thinking we should beef security here…" Sword-Fighter pondered out loud. Brawler looked at Sword-Fighter with a confused look on his face.

"Why? The three of us should have it covered," Brawler said in response. "We're the leaders of all the other Mii Fighters that work under us. We should be strong enough to guard this place,"

"I just get the feeling we'll need more people today to guard this place. I don't know why," Sword-Fighter said as he looked at Brawler while saying that. Brawler looked at Sword-Fighter with a skeptical look till Gunner said something that caught their attention.

"Well if it isn't the guy who's fighting The Master! Hope he doesn't leave you in a full body cast by the end of it," Gunner taunted. Brawler and Sword-Fighter looked away from each other and looked forward, as they saw Minato. "Just head on inside and get onto the portal which will take you to where you will be facing off against The Master."

Minato didn't say anything as he simply walked past the three as he had no words he wished to say to them. He pushed the doors and went inside, as the Mii Fighters stayed silent, not sure how to react to Minato's lack of words towards them. Brawler finally spoke up, to say something.

"Fine… we'll beef up security here," Brawler spoke, as he agreed to Sword-Fighter's demands, as he pulled out a two way radio. "I need more guards here, as soon as possible,"

* * *

Minato was now inside the room, staring on the device he be stepping on, that would take him to his final battle. He sighed and decided to take a couple of deep breaths and stretched himself a bit (he had already done this earlier but better safe than sorry) as this was truly it. He walked onto the top of the device and soon was transported to where he be going. We go back to the conference room that belonged to SEES, as everyone in it was looking at the HDTV in the room, as it was turned to the channel that would depict the fight. It was currently a blank black screen that showed nothing, but that soon changed as an image finally flickered onto the screen. It was the arena where Minato would be fighting The Master finally.

Minato now stood on the center of the arena that this battle would be taking place. It was a single huge platform in the middle of what appeared to be space, and all around he could see large planets, stars, and other space. He saw what appeared to be planet Earth, skywards in the sky and the sun below it, burning with light. Minato then looked at the floor how half of it was comprised of blue crystal, and the other half was comprised of red molten rock, that oddly didn't hurt to step on. Needless to say, this arena was very breathtaking for what it was. The arena known as Final Destination

"Reminds me of when we fought Nyx kind of…" Minato said as he looked around. "Alright... The Master! Show yourself! I'm ready to fight you!"

A loud booming laughter was heard as Minato looked around searching for the source of the sound.

"Well it seems you are very adamant about fighting me, aren't you?" a loud teasing voice rung out from The Master, though he was still nowhere to be seen. Minato listened as he would soon be fighting this individual. "Last chance. I'm going to restate the offer you have yet to accept. If you choose to join the Super Smash Bros tournament right now, then we will not fight, you will become an official fighter, you will continue to live out your life here in this world, and you will not return to your duty in your world as I will have that handled. Do you accept my offer?"

Minato thought about it one last time. He couldn't deny that everything he heard was still extremely appealing. This was the chance of a lifetime admittedly. However he knew what he wanted to do.

"Tell you what, I'm going to beat you up first and go from there, that alright with you?" Minato said with a smirk on his face. The Master could be heard laughing with amusement from what he heard.

"Very well. I see your mind is made up. After all I said I would give you your right to choose if you defeated me… now let's get started!"

A huge finger snap could be heard, as soon as The Master finished saying those words. Then Minato needless to say something pretty surprising as he stood in the center of the arena. This same sight was something that everyone in the conference room watching the room, raise their eyebrows as well.

"**HAHAHAHAHA!**" laughed out from the arrogant voice of The Master who finally revealed himself, as he appeared in the sky and now hovered above the molten side of the arena. He was a giant white sentient glove. "I am The Master! But it's time you know my true name before we fight as well. I am truly known as Master Hand!"

"Master… Hand?" Minato spoke, surprised to see he be fighting a giant white glove of all things. Everyone back in the conference room had mixed expressions on their faces and mixed reactions on their faces. Needless to say, no one was expecting this at all.

"The Master… is a freaking white glove!?" both Junpei and Yosuke yelled out of their mouths surprised.

"What the hell!?" both Chie and Yukari yelled out. Everyone else continued to stare at the HDTV more, as it was an extremely weird sight to behold.

"The Master… no… Master Hand is the one with all the power of creation and creativity?" Aigis stated, unsure of how to feel. We go back to the arena as Minato stared at the giant glove, as Master Hand decided to respond to him.

"Surprised by my appearance aren't you? Well you better not dwell too long as we are about to fight soon," Master Hand said with a smug tone. "But before doing so, I have someone I wish to introduce to you. Come on out Crazy!"

"**AHAHAHAHAHAHA!**" cackled another entity in a very insane manner. Minato turned around as that was where he heard the new laugh come from, and he soon saw another huge white gloved hand. This one was moving in a convulsive like manner as this glove was moving in constant convulsions. "**WELL FINALLY! I CAN'T WAIT TO HAVE SOME FUN!**"

Everyone back at the conference room became even more confused by what they saw. Besides the fact that they knew The Master was a glove and his real name being Master Hand, another huge white glove appeared who appeared to be insane.

"What is going on?" Naoto questioned with disbelief on her face, not sure what she was witnessing.

"I don't know anymore," Rise answered in disbelief.

"So The Master is a glove named Master Hand… so who's the other glove?" Yukiko questioned with confusion. Back at Final Destination, the maniacal hand began to speak with extreme excitement.

"I'm Crazy Hand! The guy who loves to dismantle! The maestro of destroying!" Crazy Hand shouted out with excitement. Minato could easily see where this was going.

"I get it. Master Hand is all about creation and creativity, while you're all about the opposite. One who is all about destruction," Minato stated out loud.

"Right on the money!" Crazy Hand yelled back in excitement.

"Who better to help me defeat you in this battle, then the one who represents destruction?" Master Hand sneered. Minato's face formed into one of frustration. "I never said I be fighting you alone Mr. Arisato, just that you would have no assistance whatsoever,"

"That good for nothing cheating… glove!" Kanji yelled out angrily from what he heard in the conference room.

"Calm down Kanji. I'm sure Minato can take both those gloves or hands or whatever they are down!" Teddie said.

"I hope so…" Fuuka whispered quietly to herself, concerned more than before. We go back to Final Destination as Master Hand spoke once more.

"Let's finally get started Mr. Arisato. I hope you are ready, because now we truly begin!" Master Hand yelled out with glee. Master Hand and Crazy Hand balled themselves up as they fist pounded each other multiple times, and they returned to their respective sides. Minato took out his Evoker as he was ready to attack and he thought to start off with taking out Crazy Hand, as the crazy glove's actions and name so far gave him reason to believe he was the more dangerous of the two. Then he could focus on taking down Master Hand. Divide and conquer was his primary strategy as of right now.

"Surt! Raganorok Crazy Hand!" Minato shouted out as he used his Evoker as a huge ball of fire appeared from the being known to rule the land of fire. Crazy Hand took the hit and cackled maniacally as he was engulfed by fire.

"**AHAHAHA! NOW THIS IS HOT HOT HOT! NOT BAD LITTLE MAN!**" Crazy Hand cackled with glee as Minato just cringed from what he heard from the maniacal glove. "Now it's my turn to give you something. Hope you like the heat back!"

Crazy Hand went above the center of the arena and began to move his fingers up and down. Black bombs were produced as they soon rained towards Minato's location. Minato immediately leapt towards the left side of the arena. When the black bombs made contact with the floor, they immediately exploded. Crazy Hand soon stopped, seeing how he missed.

"Not bad! But better pay attention to more than just me!" Crazy Hand taunted. Minato suddenly heard arrogant laughter behind him, as he saw Master Hand right behind him, who formed himself into a fist. Minato had no time to react as Master Hand charged forward and knocked Minato forward onto the ground hard. Both hands then gave each another fist bump.

"Will we be attacking in tandem? Will we be taking turns? Will one of us sit out and let the other handle it? Who knows, who knows!?" Crazy Hand taunted with crazed excitement, as Minato quickly got himself off the floor and stood up with an irritated look on his face.

"Time to take my shot at him myself," Master Hand commented as he went towards the right side of the arena. He formed his hand as he held his thumb upwards, and pointed his index finger and middle finger at Minato, as if his own being was a gun. A sound that sounded like charging was soon heard, as Minato had a feeling he better defend himself.

"Alilat! Repel Pierce!" Minato quickly shouted out as he used his Evoker on himself. Minato summoned as he summoned the powerful Persona that resembled a black crystal with red markings on it, in front of Minato. Master Hand had just fired what appeared to be large golden bullets out of his pointed fingertips repeatedly, just as Minato summoned this Persona. The large golden bullets reflected back at Master Hand, knocking the hand back annoyed.

"Resourceful as always Mr. Arisato. But let's see if I can knock that Evoker of yours, away from you!" Master Hand commented. Master Hand began to flap himself up and down, and a cold wind began to blow. Chunks of ice materialized as the wind was that cold and was headed towards Minato as he tried to run against the wind used his Evoker quickly.

"Byakko! Take those hits of ice for me now!" Minato quickly yelled out as he evoked his Evoker on himself quickly. Minato summoned the Persona of his based on the Chinese White Tiger as the beast came forth and appeared in front of Minato and absorbed any ice that came towards his direction and reduced some of the wind that came by.

"Very tactical Mr. Arisato. Such a clever fighter you are!" Master Hand complimented as he stopped his current attack, seeing how it had very little effect. "Perhaps I shall heat things up instead?"

Master Hand summoned a ball of fire on his being, and held it with an open palm. Minato seeing this, quickly used his Evoker to summon the Persona known as Surt again, as he didn't plan to take any fire on himself, as Master Hand crushed the ball of fire, leading to a rain of it falling upon the arena. Minato's Persona absorbed the blazes.

"Perhaps a different approach is needed. Why don't you try Crazy?" Master Hand suggested, seeing as his two previous attacks failed.

"I love to brother! Let's see… **AH HA!** I know just the thing!" Crazy Hand shouted eagerly in response. Crazy Hand snapped his fingers, and summoned a huge spiked magenta pillar. He stabbed the very left end of the arena, confusing Minato. He then moved toward the center of the arena as Minato took some steps back, as he stabbed the very center of the arena, and then stabbed the very end of the arena on the right end. Minato was current in between the space between the left and middle magenta spiked pillars that Crazy Hand stabbed into the arena. "Now you're trapped like a rat! Time to turn into a pancake!"

Crazy Hand balled himself into a fist as he positioned himself above Minato's position on the Final Destination arena, and pulled back, ready to punch downwards. Minato seeing this had to be on the defensive again, as he summoned Alliat again, to repel the attack. Crazy Hand grunted in frustration, as the hand really wanted to land that punch. Minato then summoned Byakko again, as he planned to rid the arena of those spiked pink pillars, wedged into them.

"Mabufudyne the three pillars around the arena, now!" Minato ordered as he summoned the white tiger Persona once more. The Persona quickly summoned a blast of ice around itself and froze the three pillars on the arena. The three pillars then exploded and shattered into many ice bits (as the three pillars were already explosive, and had Minato made contact with them, that would have been bad) and the pieces fell off the arena.

"Hmmm… maybe it's time… **TO REALLY PLAY BALL!**" Crazy Hand suggested, as Master Hand heard and agreed with this. Crazy Hand went towards the left side of the arena, and lowered himself, while Master Hand went to the right side and went higher. Minato decided to run to the middle, as he didn't want to get close to either of them, unsure of what they were trying to pull.

"As my brother had stated, it is indeed time to play ball!" Master Hand stated, as he summoned a green sphere made of energy on his palm. He held it above his palm, and quickly threw it up. The green energy ball soon fell back down, and with a powerful swat, Master Hand hit it towards Minato's direction. The blue haired teen dodged rolled to the left, as the sphere almost hit him, and hit the center of the arena. The sphere bounced towards Crazy Hand's direction who was ready to hit back.

"Let's see who drops it! Hopefully not anytime soon for blue hair down there!" Crazy Hand stated manically as he smacked it back towards Master Hand. Minato's face became one of frustration as he could see what they were doing. Master Hand readied himself, as the green sphere of energy was hit towards Minato's direction once more. He dodged it once more, but he noticed the projectile definitely was sent towards him faster compared to before. Crazy Hand smacked it back towards Master Hand even faster, and Master Hand annoyed that Minato had yet to be hit, slammed it back hard towards Minato. He had no time to react as it slammed into him, and then bounced off towards space, and made him knocked down.

"Minato-kun!" Fuuka yelled out concerned, as everyone watching from SEES's conference room in Smash Tower, looked even more concerned from the hard hit they saw Minato take. Minato wearily stood up, as he moved to the left side of the arena, as Crazy Hand moved toward the center.

"**WELL I FEEL LIKE ENDING THIS. I GOT A MANICURE TO TAKE SO IF YOU DON'T MIND, LET'S SAY GOOD BYE!**" Crazy Hand screamed crazily, as he moved upwards of the center of the arena. "**IT WAS FUN, BUT IT'S TIME FOR ME TO BREAK THE NEW TOY!**"

Crazy Hand readied himself as he somehow ripped open the fabric of space from above the middle of the arena, and a dark vortex appeared, and Crazy Hand somehow held onto the ripped space. Minato slowly felt his whole being dragged towards it, as he tried to keep his feet planted on the ground, and saw that he had to do something quick, or this match was over for him. He took his Evoker, and knew the perfect Persona to use, to make Crazy Hand stop ripping the fabric of space.

"Melchizedek Gigantic Fist Crazy Hand now!" Minato yelled out, as he used his Evoker. He summoned a Persona that was based on a Biblical figure who was known to be wise and looked to be humanoid being wearing purple and gold armor with black metal wings. The Persona using its power, summoned a fist made of pure energy right above Crazy Hand (similar to a God's Hand but not as powerful). Before Crazy Hand could react, the fist slammed straight down, and hit the glove, causing Crazy Hand to stop holding onto the fabric of space that he ripped open, and the vortex that appeared soon disappeared as if it never appeared.

"**YEOW!**" Crazy Hand screamed out annoyed, as the glove was knocked down, and lost his grip of the fabric of space. Before the maniacal glove could do anything else, Minato decided it was time to knock Crazy Hand out of the arena for good, before Master Hand could intervene or anything else could happen in general, as he readied his Evoker.

"Melchizedek! God Hand Crazy Hand out of the arena!" Minato commanded as he quickly used his Evoker once more. As the sound of the gunshot went off quickly so again, the Persona Melchizedek appeared once more, and this time, quickly summoned an even huger fist made of pure energy (golden as well), right underneath the maniacal glove. Before Crazy Hand could react once more, he was sent flying towards the planets at the background of space, in Final Destination. The hit was so powerful, that Crazy Hand legitimately screamed in pain as his being crackled with magenta like lightning, as he was sent flying away. Minato smirked as he was glad to have taken one of the gloves out.

"One down, one more to go," Minato said to himself, as Master Hand now hovered over the right side of the arena, bewildered by what he saw, as he barely moved. Minato seeing this took the opportunity to attack Master Hand.

"Chi You, Vorpal Blade Master Hand now!" Minato ordered, as he used his Evoker on himself. He summoned a Persona based on a Chinese half man and half bull beast. It had green skin, wore Asian inspired armor, and wielded blades and shields. The being charged right at Master Hand and unleashed a powerful slash with its blades.

"**GAH!**" Master Hand screamed out both in pain and in anger. The white glove slowly lurched towards the center of the arena, as the glove tried to hold himself together.

"Game set and match, Master Hand," Minato shouted out loud. Master Hand heard this, and for a response, screamed in pain, but however started to laugh wildly in response as well, causing Minato to look concerned.

"It's time… for the core…" Master Hand weakly but darkly said with a grim arrogant tone. Before Minato could respond to the words he just heard, Master Hand began to spasm extremely violently and erratically. Everyone watching from SEES's conference room, were confused, concerned, or intimidated by what was happening. Master Hand then finally exploded, as a huge "swarm," of black particles emerged from the explosion, as the white glove was no more. The whole space and sky around the arena began to be consumed into a surreal dark colored like aesthetic, as the swarm went nuts.

Minato gritted his teeth in frustration not sure what he was dealing with now. The huge mass of black swarm like particles slowly formed into a humanoid giant. On the giant's face was a purple like visible "core," within it, on its face, while the rest was of the black swarm. The being that Minato was now facing was known as Master Giant, as it was now fully formed. Everyone watching from the conference room, needless to say were at a loss for words. No one also saw this coming. It wasn't until Marie decided to break the silence that sound was finally present again.

"What the hell is that thing!?" Marie shouted out.

"It seems… that The Master… err Master Hand… whatever this being is at the moment," Theodore stated, not even sure himself anymore. "Has as people put it, lots of cards up his sleeve… err glove,"

"Well, that shouldn't matter, whatever Master Hand is or isn't," Elizabeth stated. "Minato has yet to be bested, and he is still not down at the current moment,"

"In other words, this battle is still far from over it would seem. I have faith in Minato though. He can take on this giant. I know he can," Yu stated. Everyone else in the room felt calmed by what they heard but Fuuka couldn't help but feel even more concerned. She now felt compelled to help Minato, even if this was his own fight. Yet a part of her wondered if that was fair, considering Master Hand had Crazy Hand as his ally earlier during the fight. We go back to Final Destination as Minato stared at Master Giant. He gritted his teeth, annoyed that despite Master Hand himself being defeated, he just somehow turned into some sort of giant monster.

"I guess I'll take you down as this thing as well," Minato said as he grabbed his Evoker and prepared to use it. "Asura! Agidyne that giant now!"

Minato summoned a red human like deity, known in various Asian religions (most notably Buddhism) that had six arms. Asura did as it was told as it summoned a huge blast of fire and that shot forward and hit Master Giant's face. Some of the black swarm broke off, but not much as it hit the face, and didn't flinch at all. Master giant raised its left and arm, and swung at Asura, knocking the Persona away into the sky, and as it did this, a blast of purple lightning followed where Master Giant swung, like a slash.

"Damn it! It's like I did nothing at all. I have to keep chipping away at it," Minato said, as he did note that his Persona took some of its being away with its earlier attack. "Thor, Ziodyne its head now!"

Minato used his Evoker once more, as the sound of a gunshot rang out. The Nordic being that wore golden armor and complete with a golden helmet, and wielded a large hammer. Thor using its hammer, summoned a powerful blast of electricity at Master Giant, taking away more of its swarm on it's being. Master Giant in retaliation decided to summon two more arms made of the same swarm of black particles, besides the two it already had. The four arms converged towards Thor, but Minato quickly summoned Thor away. The hands quickly came towards Minato, but he quickly leaped, dodged, and avoided the arms attempting to grab him. After seeing it would be no use trying to clutch the agile teenager, the two new arms created, went back into the mass of rest of Master Giant, and the normal arms of Master Giant resumed its original position.

"Nice dodging Minato!" Akihiko cheered, from what he saw. "He can't beat you, if he can't hit you!"

Minato took out his Evoker, as he was ready to summon another Persona. Before he could do so, Master Giant immediately grabbed the whole arena, with both its arms, causing Minato to stumble and drop his Evoker in front of hm. Master Giant summoned multiple spherical balls of electricity above the arena. Minato could see that Master Giant was planning to life the arena straight into the electrical spheres. He quickly dived forward and grabbed his Evoker, as he was now lying on his back on the ground, seeing the electrical spheres above him. He had to act quick as Master Giant was about to raise the arena upwards. He aimed his Evoker at his head, and summoned the right Persona for this job.

"Odin! Absorb the electricity with your being!" Minato shouted, as he used his Evoker to summon another Persona. The summoned Persona that was a purple humanoid being that wore a golden helmet, wielded a large spear, and had a white cloth wrapped over its own body. The Persona moved itself toward the electrical spheres above the arena, and quickly absorbed them into its own being, as Master Giant just lifted the arena into the air. Minato sighed with relief as he almost was shocked, from what Master Giant attempted. Master Giant was angered as it dropped the arena, back to its previous position and raised its head back. Minato seeing this widened his eyes, as he could tell the giant was about to slam its head down onto him with a head-butt. He quickly rolled out of the way to the left of the arena, as the giant slammed its head hard onto the center of the arena, where Minato previously was, not hitting the blue haired teenager, as the teenager rolled away in time.

"Jesus. Talk about close calls," Shinjiro remarked, glad to see Minato didn't get hit by that head-butt. Master Giant reared its head back again, but this time to do something different. Minato stood up confused, as Master Giant didn't seem to be moving towards his direction at all. Then before he knew it, Master Giant let out a huge piercing scream with some garbled up monstrous voice, as the scream also caused a sound like shock wave to blast out of its mouth, as it send Minato flying off the arena towards the left. Everyone watching from the conference room gasped in fear and surprise.

"If he doesn't get back on the arena, he's done for!" Teddie yelled in a comical, yet very concerned panic, as that was how someone would lose in a Smash Bros match normally, as everyone felt nervous. Minato quickly took out his Evoker as he knew that this was a long shot with what he was about to do, to get back onto the Final Destination arena, as he was falling. Minato knew what he was about to attempt was also going to seriously hurt, but that was nothing new as some moves his Persona's before has made him feel pain, though the one he was about to use wasn't like that normally.

"Norn! Magarudyne me, so I can be sent flying back towards Final Destination, now!" Minato quickly shouted, as he used his Evoker. He summoned a Persona based on the Norse goddess of fate, as a golden woman with a massive clock as part of its body appeared. His Persona quickly went below its summoner, as it blasted Minato upward and at an angle back towards the Final Destination arena, with a powerful blast of wind, causing Minato cry out in pain and to grit his teeth from it.

"Minato-kun!" Fuuka cried out, hating to see her beloved like this. Minato landed back with a spill and thud onto the arena, as he tiredly slowly stood up. Master Giant didn't seemed surprised its attack to knock Minato of the arena failed. With gritted teeth and pent up anger boiling up, Minato immediately used his Evoker once more, ready to take down Master Giant.

"Thor! Vicious Strike its head now!" Minato yelled out as the sound of another gunshot rang out. He summoned Thor once more, as the being using its hammer, began to do as its Persona user commanded upon Master Giant's head, taking out chucks of its swarm out. Minato took out his one handed sword, and also contributed to the attack, as himself and his Thor, striked and slashed the giant respectively and repeatedly. Soon the giant feel apart as the swarm all spread apart from itself.

"He did it! He beat the giant!" Chie commented happily with a big carefree smile. However just as she finished saying those words, something discouraging suddenly happened. The swarm began to all amass on the arena itself on the right side of Final Destination. The swarm wasn't as large compared to before but it was still a large amount, as it then reformed into some kind of large beast. It had four legs, large sharp orange teeth in a large orange mouth, and a scorpion like tail. Master Giant had now turned into its form known as Master Beast. Chie's expression then turned into a frown, once this had happened.

"That being just reformed into some kind of beast," Mitsuru stated with a nervous tone, both to point it out to everyone else in the room, and out of surprise from what she saw. Fuuka felt even more frustrated for Minato from what she saw. He already had to fight two gloved beings, a giant, and now a beast? She had felt Minato needed more help than before, but she knew still that this was his battle alone. However her desire to help Minato and to ignore that rule was growing, as what she saw encouraged it.

Minato gritted his teeth, frustrated that the giant had now turned to some sort of monstrous beast of all things. Master Beast roared a beastly roar as it was now formed, as if to intimidate Minato. Minato however simply took this as an opportunity to attack it.

"Susano-O! Vorpal Blade that beast!" Minato yelled out this time. Another humanoid deity like Persona was summoned, this one based of Japanese mythology, as a humanoid being with dark hair, a spiky hairpiece over said dark hair, a black cape worn over its back, and wielded a sword that resembled the fabled Japanese seven branched sword, the Shichishito. Sunsano-O charged forward with his Schichishito sword and wielded it with precision, as Susano-O began to slash at Master Beast hard. Master Beast roared in retaliation and anger as it wouldn't stand for this. Literally as the beast leaped and slammed down hard on its side of the arena, knocking Susano-O out of the way and out of the arena. This also the left side of the arena to briefly tilt downwards sharply in that right, as Minato lost his footing and was on his back, like before on the ground.

"That stupid beast! Quit knocking him down like that!" Kanji whined. In the meantime, Master Beast seeing this, decided to launch its next attack. Spiked shadows formed from its back, and somehow went into the ground. The spiked shadows slowly jutted up and down, out of the arena ground, getting closer to Minato in the process. Minato seeing this knew he had to once again act fast, or those spikes would get him. He quickly took out his spear that he used a crutch, to help himself stand faster. Then he quickly took out his Evoker and used it.

"Alilat! Repel that spike for me!" Minato shouted out as he summoned this being once more. The spike was near Minato, ready to pierce him, but Alilat quickly positioned itself where Minato was, and as the shadowy spike popped up, it pushed the barrier that Minato and Alilat back, and ceased attacking. Master Beast seeing this, roared that its latest attack failed, while Minato took this as a chance to fight back. He took out his spear and ran towards Master Beast, and when he got within range, began to stab repeatedly at the beast. Master Beast lost bits and pieces of its swarm. It growled more from the poking stabs it got, as Minato was relentless. Having had enough of this, Master Beast decided to do something new. It jumped to the background of the arena, and charged forward at Minato with its jaws wide open, intending to bite the blue haired teen. Minato immediately held his spears vertically, as Master Beast tried to clamp its jaws on him. He used his spear to hold back the jaws, and it ended up pushing Minato back, and Master Beast itself back from the force from trying to bite him, with the spear in the way.

"That could have ended badly," Yosuke remarked with a nervous look on his face. "He almost got chomped on, by that beast!"

Master Beast roared furiously, annoyed its attack failed. Master Beast decided to try its newest attack again, determined to defeat its opponent. Just as Master Beast leaped back and was ready to charge forward with its jaws open again, Minato had a plan in mind to counteract this as he used his Evoker once more.

"Yurlungur! Mabufudyne now!" Minato immediately ordered out as he used his Evoker. A rainbow multicolored long snake like being, appeared with ancient markings all over its body. It quickly summoned a huge chunk of ice and blasted it forward towards Master Beast. Master Beast's jaws ended up clamping onto a huge chunk of ice, as it suddenly stopped and growled furiously, trying to crush the ice in its mouth, to get it out.

"Ouch. Chewing on ice cubes is never a fun experience," Chie stated, as they all noted that Master Beast was trying to get the ice in its mouth to go away. Minato seeing this decided to take down Master Beast, as he was sick and tired of dealing with this beast. He took out one of his bludgeon hammers, and charged forward himself, bashing and smashing at Master Beast wildly, intending to destroy it, while Master Beast roared in pain, anguish, frustration, and anger as it could do nothing. Soon just like Master Giant, Master Beast broke apart at the seams as its swarm violently all broke apart and started moving volatilely all over the arena.

"He beat the beast," Yukiko said happily, as everyone watching from the room had a sigh of relief. However this sigh was short lived, as the swarm once again decided to reform into a new form once again. This time the swarm reformed and split into five separate sabre like blades with a slight golden like glow, with one blade being a little larger compared to the others. Master Beast had now transformed into another form, one known as Master Edges. Everyone watching from their room couldn't believe what they were seeing.

"That lame beast turned into a bunch of lame swords!" Rise pouted. Needless to say everyone in the room, could only feel more frustrated at what they were seeing. Fuuka started to grit her teeth. It was starting to even anger her that Master Hand would drag this battle on like this, as she felt as if Minato needed more direct support, now more than before. She felt as if Minato managed to defeat this form of Master Hand, and he transformed into something else again, she would just end up running to the teleportation room, as she was at her limit for simply watching this battle in this room, and wanted to help her lover out so bad.

Minato gritted his teeth even more from what he saw. He was starting to get really sick of this battle, as it felt like he was playing a video game where the final boss, just kept having more forms. The five blades of Master Edges moved toward the upper right of the arena. Seeing this Minato decided to take out his bow, as he began to launch arrows at the blades, chipping away at the swarm that made up the blades. Master Edges feeling the arrows pierce its being, began to move forward towards Minato, and stopped floating close by. Minato seeing this, immediately raised his Smash shield as he went into a defensive position, as the five blades did one powerful slash together, weakening it immensely. He knew he would need time to let it regenerate, and he knew he had to take this thing down. He took his Evoker once more and decided to go on the offensive again.

"Kohryu, Maragidyne those blades now!" Minato shouted. This time the Persona he summoned was a large Asian styled white dragon that had a very long body. The dragon beast breathed a blast of fire towards the blades, taking out a good chunk of its swarm, though all five blades remained intact. Master Edges in response, did circular slashes furiously and wildly at Kohryu, and then with one large powerful swing of its blades, which sent Kohryu out of the arena, as Minato grunted in frustration. Master Edges moved back to the right side of the arena as Minato in response took out his bow once more, and began to fire back at the blades, taking off more swarm. Master Edges decided to respond back with its own projectiles. The five blades slashed and sent four electric spheres that spun towards Minato.

"Swords that can launch projectiles… well isn't that just great," Shinjiro remarked with sarcasm. Minato seeing this leaped out of the way, as he jumped over the four projectiles. However, he could still hear the projectiles crackling with electricity, as he turned around and saw that they were coming back for him. He leaped over them again, and they then dissipated into nothing finally, for his sake. Master Edges seeing this, launched projectiles again, this time the projectiles not being four small electrical spheres, but this time it being two large electrical waves. Minato had no time to react as his being got hit by both blade like waves, and he felt pain throughout his own body course through.

"Minato! No!" Fuuka cried out, getting sick of seeing Minato get hit every time in this battle. She began to ball her hands into fists, feeling more and more agitated and concerned. Minato was now on the center of the arena, breathing heavily, as he was kneeling on the ground with one knee, and resting with the other. Master Edges seeing this, decided it was time to end this. The five blades went to different positions on the arena. Two on the left, two on the right, and the largest blade above the center, where Minato was. Minato quickly put up his Smash shield, as he performed a defensive stance with his bow, knowing if he didn't, he be done for. Just as he did, a blade from the left came, and hit his shield, weakening it. Then a blade from the right, the remaining blade from the left, and then the right. Finally the largest blade slashed downward and hit him hard, as his Smash shield nearly broke, as Minato was beginning to breathe hard from the pain and exhaustion on his behing. He took out his Evoker, ready to take out Master Edges for good.

"Kohryu, Weary Thrust those blades now!" Minato tiredly spoke out, as he knew this attack would be stronger, if his own self was tired as odd as it sounded. The white dragon was summoned once more, as it thrusted itself forward towards each blade from Master Edges, striking heavily at them, causing all five blades to finally disperse from the five blades. "I swear… if you have another god damn form …"

As Minato spoke those words, the remaining swarm decided to answer, as swarm all amassed on the right side of the arena. The remaining swarm all turned into something very, surprising that caused everyone in the conference room watching to freak out. The swarm formed itself into a shadow like version of Minato that was larger than the boy. This form that mimicked it's opponents was known as Master Shadow.

All of the Investigation Members tensed immensely, as it reminded them of whenever they dealt with their own Shadow Selves in their pasts. All the SEES members tensed immensely as it reminded them of a certain incident in the past. A certain incident at a location known as the Abyss of Time. During some point of that incident, they all dealt with a being similar to what they were seeing right now. A shadowy being that took on the form of Minato Arisato. The memories came rushing back to that awful moment, and Fuuka in particular was at her limit. Minato was staring back at the shadow that resembled him, with a confused and extremely concerned expression.

"What?" Minato weakly whispered out. Master Shadow took out a one handed sword, and slowly but surely, walked towards Minato intending to continue the fight. Minato raised his own one handed sword back, as Master Shadow struck at Minato, knocking him towards the left side of the arena, using it's immense size and strength. Fuuka's breaking point had finally broke.

"**NOOOOOOOO!**" Fuuka screamed out with extreme emotion and ferocity, surprising and scaring everyone else in the room. They all looked at her, as they noted she seemed extremely emotional right now. Fuuka wouldn't let Minato fall, she wouldn't let Minato do this on his own anymore. Her mind was made up. "I'm going to save him! I'm going to that arena to save Minato!"

"I… I thought that wasn't allowed?" Aigis questioned. Koromaru barked as Aigis listened and translated for the Shiba Inu. "But I agree with Koromaru. That at this point, perhaps following the rules isn't the best course of action,"

"Well screw the rules! That stinking glove had another glove helping him out earlier! It's only fair if Minato-sempai had someone else helping him out," Kanji shouted. "I'm with you Fuuka-san!"

"I agree with Kanji. Let's do this now," Yu stated, as the rest of the Investigation Team nodded in agreement.

"Then it's settled. Let's head down to the teleportation room now," Mitsuru stated, as the other SEES members agreed with her.

"Count us in too!" Marie shouted, as Elizabeth and Theodore nodded in agreement. "We aren't going to let that stinking jerk glove win!"

"Everyone… thank you," Fuuka said, smiling from their support and determination. With those words said, everyone in the room got up, and immediately ran out of the room. They headed right for the stairs as they didn't want to go through the elevator. They ran and ran and finally got to the floor that held the teleportation room. However when they got there, they all saw an unexpected sight.

"What the hell!?" Junpei yelled out, as they all saw many Mii Fighter bodyguards in the area, all wearing their black business suits, black sunglasses, and whatever weapons they had, depending on which of the three elite Mii Fighters they trained under. The Mii Fighter bodyguards stared at the large group of people, till the three elite Mii Fighters decided to speak up

"Huh!? What are those people doing here?" Mii Gunner questioned in confusion.

"We're here to use the teleportation room, now step aside!" Yukari shouted out.

"Ha! I told you Brawler that getting more guards be worth it!" Sword-Fighter said, while Brawler rolled his eyes from what he just heard from Sword-Fighter.

"We were told to guard this room, while The Master was having his current match. If you want access to that room at this moment, you all will have to get through all of us Mii Fighters," Brawler stated.

"Fine with us! You're all going down! We'll hold them off Fuuka-san!" Yosuke shouted out, as he took out his monkey wrenches and Evoker. Without any more warning, all the Persona combatants charged forward, while the Mii Fighters were surprised by the response they were given. The only one who didn't were Elizabeth and Rise as they stopped Fuuka to tell her something.

"We'll hold off these guards, as you make your way to that room. Best of luck to my guest's special one. I wish you the best," Elizabeth said, as Fuuka nodded in response as both shook each other's hands and smiled at each other. Elizabeth went off to join the fray, as Rise talked to Fuuka next.

"I'll stay and support everyone here Fuuka. Don't worry about any of us, we can all handle ourselves," Rise said, to reassure Fuuka. "Good luck Fuuka-san, and go save Minato! We all believe in you,"

"Thank you Rise. I will," Fuuka responded, as both girls shook hands and smiled towards each other. With no hesitation, she ran towards the door that guarded the teleportation room. All her friends guarded her as she did this, as they held off any Mii Fighters in their ways. She soon reached the doors, and immediately slammed them shut as she looked around the room for what she needed to get to Minato in Final Destination.

"Don't worry Minato. I'm coming to save you," Fuuka whispered to herself, as this was what her heart and whole being wanted.

* * *

We now go back to Minato, as since then, he and Master Shadow have been trading hits and blows to each other. Master Shadow was now Minato's size as it lost more of its swarm over time. It was still a deadly threat as it was now charging at Minato, with its own one handed sword, made of darkness. Minato was parrying back with his own blade, as he refused to go down.

"Even if you try to be me, you're still not me!" Minato yelled out with anger, as he was getting sick of this fight. Just as he parried another blow, Minato struck a kick out, knocking Master Shadow down onto the ground. Before Master Shadow could do even more, Minato leaped and tackled into Master Shadow, and had his brass knuckles equipped on his hands, and immediately began a vicious beatdown, knocking swarm out of Master Shadow. "I'm sick and tired of this battle! I'm sick and tired of this arena! I'm sick and tired of you! **JUST DIE ALREADY!**"

With those words said, Minato continued to beat down Master Shadow with his fists, till finally Master Shadow dispersed underneath him, breaking apart. Minato felt his whole being was extremely exhausted, as it seemed all the swarm was finally gone. Minato fell on his back, laying on the arena, breathing heavily, as he felt sore, tired, and unable to continue.

"I hope… that you're finished," Minato barely whispered, as he couldn't continue. All that fighting he had done and endured earlier, against Master Hand, Crazy Hand, and all these forms he just fought had taken its toll on him. However, what he saw happening in front of him was going to disapprove that. The swarm amassed into a gigantic huge thing, as it grew and grew past the right side of the arena. It was like a huge fortress made of darkness had suddenly appeared. Only a path opened up nearby the right side of the arena, and at the very end he could see a pinkish red heart like object, that started beating and sounded like a heart. Master Edges had transformed into Master Fortress. Minato struggled to move, but his body refused to move in response.

"Did... I... lose?" Minato weakly thought, as his whole body felt like it couldn't go on anymore. Minato's eyes slowly closed. He was too tired out. Physically, mentally, and just in general. As his eyes closed, he just saw darkness, as he couldn't continue. "Is this... the end?"

"Juno! Oracle Minato now!"

Minato's eyes slowly woken up, as he heard a familiar voice. A familiar friendly voice he knew all too well, that was always ready to help him out, in the past. He slowly, but surely saw a holy angelic teal light, going over his body, making all the aches, pains, and any other tiredness within his being go away, as if it didn't exists. He then slowly saw Fuuka's Persona Juno, slowly descending, as Fuuka was within it, preying. When Juno reached the ground of the Final Destination arena, Juno went away, as Fuuka slowly stood up. She ran towards Minato, and Minato smiled back at her, as her eyes were full of tears, as she smiled in relief.

"Minato! Are you okay?" Fuuka asked, as both hugged each other warmly and tightly.

"I'm fine now. Especially with you here Fuuka," Minato said back gently, as he smiled at her presence. "Thank you for saving me Fuuka. I mean it,"

"Thank you Minato-kun," Fuuka said back sweetly as both smiled. Suddenly a bellowing like roaring sound came out of Master Fortress. Fuuka helped Minato slowly up, as they both stared at the fortress of darkness that lay ahead of them. Silence filled the air once more, as they were unsure of what to do. "I don't think… Master Hand is done Minato. He's… that thing right now. I can sense… he's slowly but surely regenerating his strength.

"Guess it's time for me to end this." Minato stated. "That heart at the end of that passageway… I have a hunch if I destroy that heart, it might stop him from regenerating. I'm going to head in to it and take it out now,"

"Are you sure Minato?" Fuuka asked, feeling nervous. Minato nodded back to her, and gave her another warm and gentle hug.

"I am Fuuka. Don't worry. I can count on you here as my support, as you've always been there for me." Minato said. Fuuka slowly nodded back understanding him, as both faced Master Fortress. "It's time to finish this,"

Fuuka stood at the center of the arena, and used her Evoker to summon Juno, who she now prayed within. Minato ran and leaped toward the open passage within Master Fortress. He reached the end where the beating heart was. A skeletal warrior that wielded a sword and shield, appeared made out of that same shadowy swarm as well as two shadow flower plant like creatures that were preparing to charge and fire a laser beam at him. The skeleton was a Stalfos and the two plant creatures were called Lethiniums. Minato gritted his teeth as the three creatures guarded the heart. But he then thought of what to do with a smirk, as he thought of a good Persona to summon.

"Scathach! Mafudyne these enemies now!" Minato yelled out as he used his Evoker. He summoned a humanoid being that wore a red witch's hat that had a large red cape around it, black gloves, black clothing over her chest and other areas that would expose one self, as the rest of the Personas being was bare, barring a red scarf over its neck and a silver cross necklace as well. The Persona was of a warrior from Scottish and Irish mythology. Scathach blasted the skeleton and the two plant creatures with ice, freezing them entirely. Minato then took out his hammer, and crushed the three monsters in his way into shattered ice. He then viciously attacked at the heart till it exploded, and a loud bellowing like noise came from the fortress.

"Minato! I sense another heart within it! Also another pathway opened up above you! Head back outside of it, and make your way to it!" Fuuka communicated with Minato. "Also be ready as sort of electric monster made out of that same darkness is waiting for you,"

Minato hearing this, knew the right Persona for the job, as he headed back out. He saw what Fuuka described as a circular round being made out of electricity was guarding the entrance back. It was a Plasma Wisp, and it was preparing to attack Minato with electricity. Of course thanks to what he heard before from Fuuka, he was prepared.

"Thor! Vicious Strike that enemy now!" Minato shouted as he summoned the Norse God Persona. Thor charged at the Plasma Wisp, as the Plasma Wisp shot electricity towards Thor, as it absorbed it with no issue, then sent the Plasma Wisp flying into the spacey like sky, as it was now gone from sight. Minato then leapt up towards the new path that opened up, searching for the new heart.

"Be careful Minato. I'm getting signs of more monsters within it still," Fuuka pointed out, as Minato heard what he said. Minato saw shadowy crawling spiked creatures approaching him, made of that same darkness like swarm. These creatures were Geemers and were making his way towards him. Minato took out his Evoker once more, ready to strike back.

"Same as before Scathatch! Mabufudyne!" Minato ordered, as the Geemers soon became frozen. Minato using his hammer, shattered them to frozen pieces as he continued on. He soon found a hole and leaped down, determined to take down the second heart. He had now seen he was in a more dangerous area of the fortress, as be landed on a platform. The room he was in had a bunch of platforms suspended over what appeared to be yellow acid that boiled and bubbled intensely.

"Great. It's like I'm in its stomach," Minato commented with some annoyance. He saw the heart was the upper left of the room, the sounds of its heartbeats being loud and dominating. He leaped across the platforms and leaped at a platform that was across from it. More shadowy Geemers and Lethiniums appeared as he did this. Seeing this he knew he had to destroy the heart as soon as possible, before those enemies could get to him.

"Thanatos! You're up!" Minato shouted up as he summoned one of his strongest Personas. Thanatos was a large humanoid warrior, garbed in black, wielded a large, long, and powerful blade, and had metal coffins surrounding its being, as if they were wings. It was the personification of death and mortality, and was truly an intimidating Persona. "Tempest Slash all these monsters now!"

Thanatos did as it was commanded, as with amazing speed and power, went around the room, attacking the Geemers and Lethiniusms, careful to not touch the acid on the bottom. Minato himself took out his bows, and began to fire arrows at the heart. The Geemers and Lethinums increased, as they were determined to take down Minato, but Thanatos would be having none of that. Soon the heart exploded, and the whole room shook violently.

"Fuuka, I need you to teleport me back to the main arena now!" Minato said, Fuuka hearing this immediately performed the ability they needed at this moment.

"Juno! Escape Route Minato now!" Fuuka shouted out, as this technique was one had used before to help Minato and SEES back in Tartarus, to return to a safer area. Soon Minato appeared back on the main arena, ahuge white light erupted from the fortress, causing both Minato and Fuuka to close their eyes, as an explosion could be heard. Soon they both slowly opened it and saw that Master Fortress still remained but was not as big as it was before. Fuuka then sensed something that indicated that this fight was far from over. The fortress still had two paths, but both paths had changed. "Minato, I'm sensing a third heart on it! The upper path is the one you'll have to take, to reach it!"

"Got it. Heading my way now," Minato said with a smirk, as he prepared to take down another heart. He leaped up the higher path, and saw that acid coated some of the floors and ceiling now, and all of those shadowy monsters were awaiting him. "Out of my way. Go Thanatos! Tempest Slash all of these enemies now!"

Minato took out his Evoker once again, summoning the intimidating personification of death, as he wanted to bring death to those shadowy monsters in his way. Thanatos charged and slashed at the shadow monsters with no mercy, as Minato leaped, dodged, and made his way to the next hear. He dropped down to a platform to the left and saw the third heart beating right in front of him. Out of reach. He took his bow once more, and began to fire more arrows at it, as the shadow creatures began to grow more violent and attack back at Thanatos more. However the third heart soon exploded, and the whole fortress shook again. This time a swarm of darkness covered the whole area, as Minato closed his eyes, as he waited for the swarm to calm down.

"Minato! Most of the darkness on top of the fortress is gone now! I'm sensing one more heart, and this one is bigger than the last three!" Fuuka relayed to him. "If we take down this last heart, then I hopefully this thing is done for! There's a hole on top of the center of the fortress now, that leads inside of it!"

"Got it Fuuka! I'm ready to end this once and for all," Minato said back. He opened his eyes and saw what Fuuka was talking about. The entire upper path was gone, and now on top of the fortress laid a single hold, leading to within it. He made his way, and looked down, seeing a platform suspended above the yellow acid. He carefully leaped down, and saw to his right, more platforms above acid, each guarded with a Stalfos above them.

"Sandhach! Freeze those monsters with Mabufudyne like before!" Minato shouted out as he summoned the Persona once more, as the female warrior blasted the skeletons with ice, freezing them once more. Minato leaped to each platform, smashing the Stalfos with his hammer, as he made it to another path on the right that went below. He got into it, and dropped below, seeing more Geemers approach him from the left. "You know the drill Scathach!"

The Geemers stood no chance as they were frozen and shattered like the other monsters before them. Minato made his way to the left, and saw a large pit of acid, and a Lethinuim on the other side, beginning to charge a laser at him. Minato walked back a bit, then ran forward and leaped, just as the Lethinuim fired at the spot he was before. Minato leaped right over and behind the Lethinium, and with his sword drawn, sliced it in half, as the shadowy plant creature dispersed into nothing, as it's swarm dissolved. Minato continued to the left, till he saw what he was looking for.

"The final heart," Minato whispered to himself as it was huge compared to the previous three. The whole room was dominated by the sound of its heartbeats. He saw acid near the ground below it, and acid near the walls and ceiling above it. He saw a moving platform and a stationary platform near the heart giving him an idea of how to get to it. "Time to destroy it,"

Minato leaped onto the moving platform, and waited till it got close to the platform nearby the large heart. As soon as he got onto it, more Plasma Wisps and Lethinums showed up, as they were defending Master Fortress's heart.

"Oh no you don't! Thanatos! Mahamaon now!" Minato ordered as he took out his Evoker and used it once more. Thanatos was summoned again, and this time, sent a blast of powerful light at the shadowy creatures in the room. They all screamed in pain, as the powerful light spell disintegrated him. "Now let's end this once and for all. Thanatos, Brave Blade it now!"

Thanatos hearing the command, using its sword, slashed at the heart with extreme severity. Minato took out his own sword, as he was ready to destroy it. With a screaming roar from his own being, Minato leaped at the heart, and with both his hands, plunged his sword into the massive heart. A piercing monster like scream could be heard from the heart, as orange light slowly started to appear from it, as it was slowly starting to explode.

"Fuuka, I need to get back to the main arena, just like before!" Minato quickly ordered.

"Escape Route Minato again Juno!" Fuuka shouted, as Juno headed her orders. Minato soon appeared again on the arena. Fuuka dismissed Juno, as both regrouped as they saw that what remained of Master Fortress was exploding. Soon an entire explosion occurred, as both of them covered their eyes from it. As soon as the explosion was gone, they both noticed that the fortress was gone. However they both noticed something very peculiar at the center of the arena was a spherical like object that swirled with many colors inside it, and had the Smash Bros symbol marked over its entire body. This was Master Core. Master Core was currently not moving at all. It simply laid still.

"I can sense… it's still trying to regenerate… even just as that," Fuuka said, as Minato nodded, acknowleding what she said. Minato took out his Evoker one last time, as he was ready for the finale.

"Alright then Fuuka. Stand back," Minato said, as Fuuka nodded, as she positioned herself behind Minato. He was going to summon on of his strongest Persona to end this. "Messiah! Megidolaon it now!"

As the sounds of his Evoker came on, a white red eyed humanoid being appeared, that was truly holy. Its appearance was similar to Personas like Orpherus and Thanatos, with its face resembling Orpheus, and holding several coffins on a chain with its left hand. It slowly descended and soon stood on the ground and looked at the Master Core on the center of the arena. With its hands it summoned a huge white sphere of pure energy, and threw it right at the Master Core. With that, another huge piercing scream was heard, as the explosion consumed then sent the core flying straight up. Master Core began to crack, and soon one final explosion occurred, as it exploded as white light violently and volatilely exploded out from it, soon consuming the whole area with white light. Both Minato and Fuuka immediately went to each other and hugged as they closed their eyes, unsure of what was happening, but wanting to make sure they were with each other, as the white light consumed the couple and everything around them.

This match was finally over.

**To Be Continued…**

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**What did you guys think? I hope you all liked it. Notes as always.  
**

**1\. All the Personas that Minato summon during this fight, are mainly ones that Minato can use after completing Social Links up to Rank 10 usually, and fulfill the right Persona fusions. Their attacks are ones that come from both the original Persona 3 and Persona 3 FES.**

**2\. All the attacks that both Master Hand, Crazy Hand, and all the different forms of Master Core, are things they can use in Super Smash Bros for 3DS &amp; Wii U as attacks. The Master Fortress form is one exclusive to the Wii U version of Super Smash Bros and is not in the 3DS version, for the time being. What determines what forms of Master Core you fight, along with both Master Hand and Crazy Hand in general, when you play Classic Mode in both versions is the level of intensity you select. The higher the intensity, the harder the final battle will be, and what will determine what you will be fighting in general.**

**3\. That moment when Fuuka comes with a Oracle, to heal Minato, references how when you fight Master Fortress, after you defeat the Master Shadow form, a Heart Container will appear for the player to use to heal their damage if they choose too. **

**4\. The enemies found inside Master Fortress, also appear in Smash Run which is only in the 3DS version for the time being. The differences is, the ones that appear within Master Fortress is made up of the same swarm like darkness that makes up the different forms of Master Core, whereas in Smash Run, the enemies are of their original appearances from the games they're from. Stalfos from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (as they use that version for Smash Bros), Plasma Wisps from the Kirby series, Geemers from the Metroid series, and Lethiniums from Kid Icarus Uprising.**

**Well that should be it. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and the story so far in general. If you have anything you wish to say, criticize, point out, and etc, don't be afraid to do so. What's going to happen next? Till next time!**


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